Week 9 Pac-12 football power rankings

Nathaniel Levin

October 30, 2023

Arizona dog piles at the one yard line in an attempt to rush a touchdown in a close loss against Washington on Sept. 30 in Tucson. The Wildcats lost the game 24-31.

All of the Pac-12 teams were back in action for Week 9 of the college football season. The weekend featured several thrillers and exciting finishes.

The No. 8 University of Oregon dominated the No. 13 University of Utah, while the No. 5 University of Washington narrowly escaped a scare by Stanford University. No. 23 UCLA cruised to victory against the University of Colorado Boulder, while the University of Arizona secured its second consecutive top-25 win with a victory over No. 11 Oregon State University. No. 24 USC put on a late rally to win an exciting game against the University of California Berkeley. ASU secured its first conference victory of the season with a win over a now-unranked Washington State University.

No. 5 Washington 42 – Stanford 33

No. 5 Washington beat Stanford 42-33 to remain undefeated, but the Huskies’ recent struggles are a cause for concern.

No. 5 Washington (8-0, 5-0 in Pac-12)

After a massive win against Oregon a few weeks ago, Washington narrowly escaped stunning upsets against ASU and Stanford in back-to-back weeks. The Huskies’ offense returned after its absence last weekend. Heisman Trophy-favorite Michael Penix Jr. threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns, as Penix still leads the league with 2,945 passing yards on the season. Ja’Lynn Polk hauled in five receptions for a season-high 148 yards and two touchdowns, the first of which went for 92 yards. The Huskies face No. 24 USC on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 4:30 p.m. in a battle between two of the best offenses in the conference.

Editor’s note: Washington remains at No. 5 in the Week 10 AP Poll and debuted at No. 5 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season.

Stanford (2-6, 1-5 in Pac-12)

Despite being 27.5-point underdogs, the Cardinal stayed competitive against the undefeated Washington team. Quarterback Ashton Daniels gave his all, throwing for 367 yards and one touchdown while rushing for a team-high 81 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Elic Ayomanor’s breakout season continued as the sophomore hauled in nine receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinal, 2-19 in its last 21 conference games, will look to snap its two-game losing streak against a struggling Washington State team on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m.

No. 8 Oregon 35 – No. 13 Utah 6

No. 8 Oregon jumped out early and never looked back, as the Ducks routed No. 13 Utah 35-6 on the road.

No. 8 Oregon (7-1, 4-1 in Pac-12)

Oregon collected its first win in Salt Lake City since 2016, racking up nearly 400 yards against one of the nation’s top defenses. Bo Nix again delivered, throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns while completing 77% of his passes. Nix has yet to complete less than 72% of his passes in a single game this season after reaching that mark just five times last season. Running back Bucky Irving led the Ducks’ ground attack, rushing for 83 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries. Oregon’s defense forced two turnovers and shut down Utah’s offense, which had been on the rise as of late. The Ducks will look to stay hot when they host Cal on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 2:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: Oregon rose to No. 6 in the Week 10 AP Poll and debuted at No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

No. 13 Utah (6-2, 3-2 in Pac-12)

After back-to-back strong performances by the Utah offense, the Utes returned to their early-season struggles, tallying a season-low six points in their loss against Oregon. Adding to their woes, the Utah defense allowed a season-high 35 points, as the defense, which gave up a combined 73 points throughout their first six games, has given up 67 points in their last two. Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes completed only 52% of his passes, throwing for only 136 yards and two interceptions. Utah will look to bounce back at home against ASU on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 11 a.m.

Editor’s note: Utah fell to No. 18 in the Week 10 AP Poll and debuted at No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Arizona 27 – No. 11 Oregon State 24

Arizona edged past No. 11 Oregon State 27-24, as the Wildcats are now just one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2017.

Arizona (5-3, 3-2 in Pac-12):

Quarterback Noah Fifita connected on 78% of his passes, as the redshirt freshman threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, leading Arizona to their second straight win over ranked opponents for the first time since 2014. Running back Michael Wiley returned after missing the Wildcats’ previous three matchups. The senior hauled two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, fueling Arizona’s upset win. Third-year head coach Jedd Fisch has turned the Wildcats into a competitive team, on the verge of their first bowl game appearance since 2017 when they lost to Purdue University in the Foster Farms Bowl. Arizona will be tested again when the Wildcats face their fifth straight top-25 opponent, No. 20 UCLA, on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wildcats’ homecoming game.

Editor’s note: For the first time this season, Arizona received votes (6) in the Week 10 AP Poll.

No. 11 Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 in Pac-12):

The Beavers had their three-game winning streak snapped, and their Pac-12 title hopes diminished after their heartbreaking loss against Arizona. Despite outgaining the Wildcats 407-363, the Beavers made several mistakes and had several questionable calls, including a fake field goal before halftime, which was unsuccessful. Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei avoided turning the ball over for the third straight game, as the junior threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Damien Martinez led the Beavers with 87 yards on 14 carries but could not find the endzone for the second straight game. The Beavers will look to rebound against Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.

Editor’s note: Oregon State fell to No. 16 in the Week 10 AP Poll and debuted at No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings

No. 23 UCLA 28 – Colorado 16

No. 23 UCLA overcame an ugly first half to beat Colorado 28-16, as the UCLA defense shut down the Colorado offense.

No. 23 UCLA (6-2, 3-2 in Pac-12)

The Bruins turned the ball over four times in the first half but still held a 7-6 lead at halftime. UCLA then scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions of the second half, blowing the game open. Ethan Garbers connected on 74% of his passes, as the junior threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Garbers’ top target, Logan Loya, hauled in seven receptions for a career-high 111 yards. The Bruins posted seven sacks for the first time since 2019, putting their season total at 31, which ranks third in the nation. The Bruins travel to face one of the hottest teams in the conference, the Arizona Wildcats, on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: UCLA rose to No. 20 in the Week 10 AP Poll and debuted at No. 19 in the College Football Playoff rankings

Colorado (4-4, 1-4 in Pac-12)

After opening the season 3-0, the Buffaloes are 1-4 over their last five games. Their defense and offensive line have been problematic, with the Buffaloes allowing 42 sacks, the second-most in college football. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked seven times for the third time this season and threw for only 217 yards and one touchdown, his second-lowest passing yardage this season. With two more wins needed to become bowl-eligible, Colorado faces a challenging schedule, with the remaining opponents having a combined record of 21-11. The Buffaloes will host No. 16 Oregon State on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. as Colorado looks to get back into the win column.

No. 24 USC 50 – Cal 49

No. 24 USC snapped its two-game losing streak in epic fashion, as the Trojans rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun Cal 50-49 on the road.

No. 24 USC (7-2, 5-1 in Pac-12)

The Trojans jumped out early, but USC faced an 11-point deficit by halftime. Reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams led the Trojans’ second-half comeback, throwing for 369 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for an additional two, in a bounce-back performance after two rough outings against the current-No. 12 University of Notre Dame and Utah. Although the Trojans used a solid second half to avoid the upset, their defense is a significant question that needs to step up down the stretch. Over their last five games, the Trojans are giving up 42.6 points per game while averaging only 38.6 points per game. USC will face No. 5 Washington on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 4:30 p.m., aiming to keep its Pac-12 title hopes alive.

Editor’s note: USC remains at No. 24 in the Week 10 AP Poll and debuted at No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Cal (3-5, 1-4 in Pac-12)

The Golden Bears led most of the night, leading by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter. Cal played one of their best games of the season, but unfortunately, luck was not on their side, as the Golden Bears suffered a heartbreaker after failing to convert on their game-winning 2-point conversion with 58 seconds left in the game. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for a career-high 292 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for an additional two touchdowns. Jaydn Ott collected his third 150-yard game of the season, as the sophomore rushed for 153 yards and a season-high three touchdowns on 21 carries. Cal will face No. 6 Oregon on the road on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 2:30 p.m.

ASU 38 – Washington State 27

ASU snapped its six-game skid and collected its first conference win of the season after beating Washington State 38-27.

ASU (2-6, 1-4 in Pac-12)

The Sun Devils snapped their eight-game Pac-12 losing streak with a strong performance against Washington State. Trenton Bourguet threw for 274 yards and avoided turning the ball over, an issue that has popped up throughout the season. The Sun Devils, led by their ground game, rushed for 235 yards and five touchdowns. Cameron Skattebo and DeCarlos Brooks led the way, with Skattebo rushing for 121 yards and one touchdown and Brooks contributing 67 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries each. ASU travels to Salt Lake City to face No. 18 Utah on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 11 a.m.

Washington State (4-4, 1-4 in Pac-12)

After opening the season 4-0, the Cougars have now lost four consecutive games, marking their first such losing streak since 2014, despite a standout performance by quarterback Cameron Ward, who threw for 315 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for two scores. Nonetheless, despite Ward‘s excellent play, the Cougars still gave up at least 38 points for the third straight game. However, their remaining schedule provides the Cougars with the opportunity to become bowl-eligible amid their recent struggles, as three of their four remaining opponents sit at .500 or below. The Cougars will look to get back to their winning ways when they host Stanford on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m.