1. No. 4 Stanford (8-1, 6-1 Pac-12 Conference) Last week: 2
The Cardinal didn’t just beat then-No. 3 Oregon last Thursday — it ran all over it. Holding the Ducks’ explosive offense to 20 points established Stanford as the conference’s best national championship contender. With games still remaining at USC and versus Notre Dame and a likely Pac-12 Championship Game appearance, Stanford has an excellent chance to move into the top two.
2. No. 6 Oregon (8-1, 5-1) LW: 1
The Ducks’ loss to Stanford was a hard hit. The question has now arisen whether Oregon can ever win a big game. There’s still a chance for the Ducks to win the Pac-12 North, but with an easy schedule remaining, it will be difficult for them to prove themselves just by winning out. They are going to need the Cardinal to lose a couple of its remaining games.
3. No. 19 ASU (7-2, 5-1) LW: 3
The Sun Devils had a difficult time at Utah this past week, only winning by one. But the Utes are a challenging road game, and ASU still played well in the second half. Currently sitting in first place of the Pac-12 South division, The Sun Devils control their own destiny and look to have the talent to hang on.
4. No. 13 UCLA (7-2, 4-2) LW: 4
With a No. 13 ranking, the Bruins are overrated. But because of where they were ranked to start the season, it’s where they stand. UCLA didn’t play well this past week in Tucson but still found a way to win. And with battles in the near future against ASU and USC, the Bruins still have a good chance to win the Pac-12 South.
5. USC (7-3, 4-2) LW: 6
The Trojans beat up Cal last week, which came as no surprise, but they are clearly playing their best football. USC has come a long way since the beginning of the season and is currently riding a three-game winning streak. Its next opponent, Stanford, should be on upset alert.
6. Oregon State (6-3, 4-2) LW: 7
The Beavers have dropped two in a row, but because of their six-game winning streak prior to the current losing streak, they are still alive in the conference race.
7. Arizona (6-3, 3-3) LW: 5
The Wildcats were disappointing this past weekend against UCLA. With a chance to jump in the rankings, Arizona fell flat on its face. And with two losses and zero victories against ranked opponents, another trip to the New Mexico Bowl looks likely.
8. Washington (6-3, 3-3) LW: 8
The Huskies are staying steady at number eight. Back-to-back home victories over Cal and Colorado are nothing to get excited about, but if Washington can get a road victory at UCLA this weekend, UW might be able to save face after losing three in a row.
9. Utah (4-5, 1-5) LW: 9
The Utes played well at home against ASU but couldn’t pull off the upset. Utah has two remaining games that are winnable, and it can’t afford to lose, as it doesn’t want to miss reaching a bowl for the second consecutive season.
10. Washington State (4-5, 2-4) LW: 10
A season that began with so much optimism has ended in frustration. The Cougars can still ruin Arizona’s season, though, with a road victory in Tucson.
11. Colorado (3-6, 0-6), California (1-9, 0-7) LW: 11
These two schools meet Saturday in Colorado. The loser will be crowned the pit of the conference.
—Follow Luke Della @LukeDella