The top spot in the Pacific 10 Conference was made more than clear this weekend after Oregon pounded USC. The conference is now the Ducks’ to lose, but there are still several teams with plenty to play for. Fun fact: the Pac-10 was rated the best conference in the country by the Sagarin ratings.

1. Oregon (7-1, 5-0 Pac-10)  

Last week: No. 1a

Wow, just wow. Their 47-20 win over USC was about as impressive a beat down you will ever see, and it was the exact statement that Oregon was hoping to make. The Ducks were not intimidated by the vaunted Trojan defense and simply ran wild on them. They’ve been dominant against the conference this season — allowing just 58 points scored — and should beat Stanford and Arizona State in the next two weeks in preparation for their final test of the year when they travel to Tucson to take on Arizona.

2. Arizona (5-2, 3-1 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 3

The Wildcats are now in sole possession of second place in the Pac-10. The bye week was helpful because defensive end Brooks Reed is expected to be completely recovered from his ankle injury, but it needs to get healthier at the running back position. Arizona has its last “”easy win”” this weekend against Washington State, but check this out — if UA wins its last five games, it will be in the Rose Bowl.

3. USC (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 1b

The team that lost to Oregon on Saturday was not the USC team that Pac-10 fans have been so used to seeing. To put it simply, it was the worst loss of Pete Carroll’s career at USC. In his 16 previous losses, the Trojans lost each game by an average of 4.3 points and only lost by double digits one time in 2001. USC can still win the conference, but this embarrassment — over 600 yards allowed — will certainly be a very tough pill to swallow.

4. California (6-2, 3-2 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 5

A shaky performance against ASU proved that the Bears are still very flawed and don’t belong in the “”elite”” portion of the conference. But three wins in a row is impressive, even if it is against the Pac-10’s three worst teams. Cal takes on Oregon State this week, which is no easy task, and the loser of that game will likely remove itself from any conversations about winning the Pac-10.

5. Stanford (5-3, 4-2 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 4

The bye week was nice, but hopefully the Cardinal didn’t spend too much time resting. Stanford, just one win away from bowl eligibility, hosts red-hot Oregon this weekend and then travels to USC the next, followed by California and then Notre Dame. A 5-3 record looks pretty good right now, but they could easily finish 5-7.

6. OSU (5-3, 3-2 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 6

Not enough can be said about just how good the Rodgers brothers are. Both James and Jacquizz have combined for 2,205 yards rushing and receiving and 21 touchdowns. Oregon State has a few too many holes to be an elite team, but with those two on offense the Beavers can beat any team on any

given Saturday.

7. ASU (4-4,2-3 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 7

ASU has the same problem as Stanford — it plays Cal, Oregon and USC in a span of three weeks. The Sun Devils almost upset the Golden Bears this past weekend, but ultimately dropped the most winnable game of the three. The way it’s shaping up now, ASU would have to beat Arizona in its final game in order to make a bowl. Can the Wildcats keep the rival Sun Devils out of the postseason for the second straight year?

8. Washington  (3-5, 2-3 Pac-10)

Last Week: No. 8

Despite recent struggles — they’ve lost four of five games — Washington has four winnable games remaining on the schedule and might be able to make a bowl after all. To me, though, the thing to watch is whether or not head coach Steve Sarkisian can convince his quarterback Jake Locker to stay for his senior season.

9. UCLA (3-5, 0-5 Pac-10)   

Last Week: No. 9

So it’s pretty clear at this point that UCLA really doesn’t have anything on offense. It’s no longer “”What are Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow doing?”” but rather, “”When will they find the missing offensive pieces?”” Losing five straight conference games really stinks, especially after beating Tennessee and Kansas State in weeks two and three, but the Bruins have never been blown out.

10. WSU (1-7, 0-5 Pac-10)  

Last Week: No. 10

Can anyone out there explain why Washington State’s game against Notre Dame was played in San Antonio?