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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Arizona Wildcats climb to No. 7 in Pac-12 power rankings

Keenan+Turner+%2F+The+Daily+Wildcat%0A%0AUA+quarterback+B.J.+Denker+throws+the+ball+against+Utah+on+Saturday+at+home.++The+Wildcats+defeated+Utah+35-24.
Keenan Turner
Keenan Turner / The Daily Wildcat UA quarterback B.J. Denker throws the ball against Utah on Saturday at home. The Wildcats defeated Utah 35-24.

1. No. 3 Oregon (7-0, 4-0 Pac-12 Conference) Last week 1
Oregon might have fallen from No. 2 to No. 3 in the first week of the BCS polls, but still it’s the best in the Pac-12. The Ducks have yet to score fewer than 45 points in a game, and their closest game was against then-No. 16 Washington, which they defeated by 21.

2. No. 6 Stanford (6-1, 4-1) LW 3
After being upset on the road by Utah, Stanford got right back on track with a solid home victory over then-No. 9 UCLA. The Cardinal went back to its core and ran the ball effectively against the Bruins. This week, Stanford travels to No. 25 Oregon State.

3. No. 12 UCLA (5-1, 2-1) LW 2
UCLA’s offense wasn’t very impressive last week, which is new for the team. The Bruins didn’t establish a run game against Stanford and compiled just 266 total yards. This week will be an opportunity for the Bruins to prove themselves at Oregon.

4. ASU (5-2, 3-1) LW 4
Consistency on defense is what ASU has lacked. The Sun Devils’ offense, though, is explosive and gives them a chance to win every game. They proved it last week, as they put up 53 points at home against then-No. 20 Washington. ASU’s two losses came away from home.

5. No. 25 Oregon State (6-1, 4-0) LW 7
In the end, as long as you win, it doesn’t matter how you do it. But who you beat does matter in the power rankings. And even though Oregon State has won six straight, only one of those opponents currently has a winning record. The record of the combined six schools is 15-25.

6. Washington (4-3, 1-3) LW 6
Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian can’t be sleeping well at night. After a strong start to the season, the Huskies have once again dropped three in a row, just as they did last season. UW’s 53-24 loss this past week on the road at ASU was bad.

7. Arizona (4-2, 1-2) LW 9
After a two-game skid, the Wildcats got back on track with a big home victory over Utah. The win keeps Arizona in the running for a chance to play for the conference championship game and most likely ruined division foe Utah’s chances.

8. USC (4-3, 1-2) LW 7
USC’s offense was on full display two weeks ago against Arizona in its 38-31 victory, but it went into hiding against Notre Dame last week. As always, the defense kept the Trojans in the game, but the offense struggled to score and left fans still unsure about how good the team really is.

9. Utah (4-3, 1-3) LW 8
Utah failed to separate from the middle of the pack in Tucson. The Utes have a size advantage no matter who they play, but that didn’t help them against Arizona, as they couldn’t stop running back Ka’Deem Carey. A win this week at USC would keep their bowl hopes alive, but a loss would almost kill them.

10. Washington State (4-4, 2-3) LW 10
At one point this season, Washington State looked to have a dangerous enough offense to compete with any school in the conference. But its defense has failed to measure up. The Cougars hung on last week against Oregon but lost control late and ended up losing 62-38.

11. Colorado (3-3, 0-3) LW 11
Colorado, on the other hand, has improved greatly since hiring new head coach Mike MacIntyre in December. The defense is stronger, and the offense is more effective. But the Buffaloes won’t really take off until they start getting more of their kind of guys as recruits.

12. California (1-6, 0-4) LW 12
There’s a reason it’s the only school in the conference with a losing record…

Upcoming game of the week:
No. 6 Stanford at No. 25 Oregon State on Saturday (Upset Alert)
Last week’s game of the week:
Arizona 35, Utah 24
Last week’s player of the week:
Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey ran the ball 39 times for 236 yards and one touchdown.

—Follow Luke Della @LukeDella

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