North
1. Stanford
California lost last week while Stanford was idle, so the Cardinal remain the undisputed king of the North. Its matchup against UCLA Saturday will all but end one team’s playoff bid.
2. California
Although they outgained the Utes on Saturday, Cal could not get out if its own way as the team had six turnovers, including five interceptions from the prodigious Jared Goff. The Golden Bears will have to take down UCLA to stay in the thick of the North.
3. Washington
After all but ending USC’s playoff hopes last week, Washington has the chance to put a dent in Oregon’s bid at a bowl. If only the team could take the Boise State and Cal games back, it could also be a potential ranked team.
4. Oregon
Other than its win over FCS Georgia State, the Ducks have looked like a completely different team from years past. What was once the undisputed top dog of the Pac-12 Conference is now near the back of the Pac. It’s surprising to think they might not even make a bowl game this season.
5. Washington State
The Cougars took advantage of some wounded Ducks and won a thriller in Eugene, Oregon, last week. If they can take care of business against Oregon State and pull off a few upsets, the Cougars could find themselves bowling this holiday season.
6. Oregon State
A blowout loss to a desperate Arizona team might have put the nail in the Beavers’ season. On the bright side, they could potentially ruin rival Oregon’s run when they face off to end the season.
South
1. Utah
The Utes keep their Cinderella season alive for at least another week with an emphatic victory over the Golden Bears. A team many picked to finish no higher than No. 4 in the division is now No. 4 in the nation. They should be favored in every game they play leading up to UCLA.
2. UCLA
Josh Rosen will likely face his biggest test of the season Thursday against the Stanford defense. A loss here would severely hurt the Bruins’ chances of catching Utah and winning the division.
3. ASU
The Sun Devils face a tough test at Utah this week after beating Colorado 48-23. Anything is possible this year in the Pac-12, and a win would definitely shake up the South.
4. USC
To the surprise of the entire college football world, USC came into the season highly touted only to underachieve and fire its coach midseason. Whoever is hired is going to have a blast facing Notre Dame and Utah in the next two weeks.
5. Arizona
After two-straight beat downs to California schools, the Wildcats got back on track with a beat down of their own. With at least three-straight winnable games coming up, along with a faltering USC team, Arizona could be at eight wins before they face Utah and ASU in November.
6. Colorado
There’s always next year for the Buffs. At least Colorado fans have the Broncos.
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