Week 10 Pac-12 Football Power Rankings

Nathaniel Levin

November 26, 2023

Led by tight end Tanner McLachlan (84), the Arizona football team makes its way onto the field for the sold out home game against the University og Washington in Tucson on Saturday, Sept. 30. The Wildcats lost the game 24-31.

Week 10 of the Pac-12 season featured several blowout wins and a few nail-biters as the conference’s heavyweights proved where they belong in the conference power rankings.

The No. 5 University of Washington outdueled No. 24 USC in a high-scoring affair, while the No. 6 University of Oregon dominated the University of California Berkeley. No. 16 Oregon State University overcame early struggles to beat the University of Colorado Boulder, while the No. 18 University of Utah’s punishing defense helped the Utes ease past ASU. The University of Arizona cruised past No. 20 UCLA, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017, and Stanford University handed Washington State University its fifth straight loss after starting the season 4-0.

No. 5 Washington 52 – No. 24 USC 42

Heisman contender Michael Penix Jr. led No. 5 Washington to a thrilling 52-42 victory over reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams and No. 24 USC.

No. 5 Washington (9-0, 6-0 in Pac-12)

Penix had an impressive game, throwing for 256 yards and two touchdowns, as well as rushing for another, but the real standout of the Washington offense was Dillon Johnson, who rushed for a career-high 256 yards and four touchdowns. Together, they helped the Huskies achieve a season-high of 572 yards on offense. However, the defense struggled for the second consecutive week, giving up 515 yards. The Huskies must bring their A-game when they host No. 13 Utah on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: Washington remained at No. 5 in the Week 11 AP Poll and remained at No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

No. 24 USC (7-3, 5-2 in Pac-12)

The Trojans had a strong offensive performance, with Williams throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns, while the ground game, led by Austin Jones’ 127 yards, amassed 203 yards. However, USC‘s defense let them down again, giving up at least 40 points for the fifth time in their last six matchups. The Trojans’ defensive woes have derailed their season, as USC is 1-3 over its last four games after starting the season 6-0. USC, eager for a change, fired their defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch, and are now unranked in the AP Poll for the first time under second-year head coach Lincoln Riley. The Trojans’ struggles are likely to continue when they face No. 6 Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: USC dropped out of the Week 11 AP Poll and dropped out of the CFP rankings.

No. 6 Oregon 63 – Cal 19

No. 6 Oregon cruised past Cal 63-19 as the Ducks inch closer to a potential rematch against Washington in the Pac-12 title game.

No. 6 Oregon (8-1, 5-1 in Pac-12):

Bo Nix’s efficient play continued, as the fifth-year senior quarterback connected on 76% of his passes, throwing for 386 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for an additional two scores. Tez Johnson hauled 12 receptions for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Bucky Irving rushed for 89 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. The Ducks lead the nation in scoring, averaging 47.4 points per game, and rank second in yards, averaging 539.8 yards per game. The Ducks’ defense forced three turnovers, including two in the first half, all resulting in touchdowns for Oregon. The Ducks will look to stay hot when they host USC on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: Oregon remained at No. 6 in the Week 11 AP Poll and remained at No. 6 in the CFP rankings.

Cal (3-6, 1-5 in Pac-12):

After a narrow loss against USC on Saturday, Oct. 28, the Golden Bears could not stay competitive against Oregon, as Cal was outscored 49-9 in the final three quarters after trailing 14-10 after 15 minutes. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza failed to throw a touchdown as the starter for the first time this season, throwing for 177 yards and an interception while connecting on only 53% of his passes. Running back Jaydn Ott rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries as the sophomore ranks second in the Pac-12 with 847 rushing yards on the season. Cal looks to snap its four-game losing streak when hosting Washington State on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m.

No. 16 Oregon State 26 – Colorado 19

Colorado’s late rally fell short as No. 16 Oregon State edged past the Buffaloes 26-19.

No. 16 Oregon State (7-2, 4-2 in Pac-12)

The Beavers scored just once in their opening eight possessions but eventually settled into a rhythm, scoring on each of their final four. Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw for 223 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another while running back Damien Martinez rushed for 115 yards, including a five-yard rush to seal the game late in the fourth quarter. Oregon State outgained the Buffs 418-238, as the Beaver defense shut down Colorado’s ability to run the ball all night, holding the Buffaloes to -7 yards on the ground. Oregon State hosts Stanford on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 3:30 p.m. before closing the season against the top two Pac-12 teams in Washington and Oregon.

Editor’s note: Oregon State rose to No. 12 in the Week 11 AP Poll and rose to No. 12 in the CFP rankings.

Colorado (4-5, 1-5 in Pac-12)

Colorado’s offense struggled most of the night in Pat Shurmur‘s first game as lead play-caller for the Buffs. Colorado‘s offense went quiet throughout the first three quarters, as the Buffs trailed 20-5 entering the fourth quarter. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders led a late fourth-quarter comeback with two touchdown drives, but the deficit was too much to overcome, as Colorado is 1-5 over their last six games after opening the season 3-0. Sanders finished the night with 245 yards and two touchdowns, while the Buffs’ ground game finished with -7 yards. Colorado will look to get back into the win column when they host one of the hottest teams in the country, No. 23 Arizona, on Saturday, Nov. 11, at noon.

No. 18 Utah 55 – ASU 3

No. 18 Utah was firing on all cylinders during the blowout win over ASU 55-3.

No. 18 Utah (7-2, 4-2 in Pac-12)

After a rough outing one week ago, quarterback Bryson Barnes bounced back with a strong performance, throwing for 161 yards and a season-high four touchdowns. The Utes not only excelled in the air, but they also dominated on the ground, rushing for an impressive 352 yards — their highest of the season. Ja’Quinden Jackson was the leading rusher, with 111 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries. Meanwhile, Utah’s punishing defense held ASU to a mere 83 yards of offense, as the Utes compiled 513 of their own. Utah hosts undefeated No. 5 Washington on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: Utah rose to No. 13 in the Week 11 AP Poll and remained at No. 18 in the CFP rankings.

ASU (2-7, 1-5 in Pac-12)

After collecting their first conference win of the season against Washington State, the Sun Devils followed with a forgettable performance against Utah. ASU managed only 83 yards of offense — the second-lowest total in school history. Quarterback Jacob Conover completed only 23% of his passes, throwing for 41 yards and one interception after starter Trenton Bourguet exited with an injury in the first quarter. The offense’s struggles continued on the ground, as running back Cameron Skattebo rushed for only 31 yards on 12 carries. The Sun Devils will look to rebound when they face UCLA on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.

Arizona 27 – No. 20 UCLA 10

Arizona topped No. 20 UCLA 27-10 to win the Wildcats’ third straight game over a ranked opponent for the first time in program history.

Arizona (6-3, 4-2 in Pac-12)

The Wildcats become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2017 with their sixth win of the season. Arizona also climbed into the rankings, securing the No. 23 spot in the AP Top 25 and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll — their first appearance since 2017.

“We’re bowling,” said Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch. “Six wins is a big deal.”

The Wildcats played one of their best games of the season. Freshman quarterback Noah Fifita threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns, while the ground game, led by Jonah Coleman’s 77 yards, rushed for 129 yards against the conference’s best run defense. With their victory, Arizona concludes a five-game stretch of five straight ranked opponents, of which the Wildcats went 3-2, outscoring their opponents 163-114. Arizona will look to stay hot when they travel to face Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 12 p.m.

Editor’s note: Arizona debuted at No. 23 in the Week 11 AP Poll and debuted at No. 21 in the CFP rankings.

No. 20 UCLA (6-3, 3-3 in Pac-12):

The Bruins dug themselves into a hole early, missing field goals on two of their opening three possessions. Quarterback Ethan Garbers struggled to get into any rhythm all night, throwing for 143 yards and one touchdown before exiting with an injury in the third quarter. Dante Moore and Collin Schlee could have provided more support as replacements, combining for only 14 yards on 12 pass attempts. UCLA, boasting one of the Pac-12’s top defenses, surrendered a season-high 429 yards while managing only 271 yards of their own. Additionally, the Bruins struggled to stop the Wildcats on third down, as Arizona went 11 for 16 on third-down conversations. UCLA will look to get back on track when it hosts ASU on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.

Editor’s note: UCLA dropped out of the Week 11 AP Poll and dropped out of the CFP rankings.

Stanford 10 – Washington State 7

Stanford handed Washington State its fifth straight loss after beating the Cougars 10-7.

Stanford (3-6, 2-5 in Pac-12)

The Cardinal beat Washington State for the first time since 2015, snapping a six-game skid against the Cougars. Quarterback Ashton Daniels threw for 115 yards and one interception, while backup quarterback Justin Lamson threw one pass for 27 yards and rushed for a team-high 54 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries. The defense played exceptionally well, limiting Washington State to just 245 yards of total offense. Stanford outscored the Cougars 10-0 in the second half, with kicker Joshua Karty clinching the win with a game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter. Next up, Stanford faces a tough challenge against No. 12 Oregon State on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 3:30 p.m.

Washington State (4-5, 1-5 in Pac-12)

After opening the season 4-0, the Cougars have dropped five straight games and have slipped to 10th place in the conference standings. Cameron Ward connected on only 60% of his passes, throwing for 241 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Josh Kelly hauled in four passes for 82 yards and one touchdown, while Lincoln Victor hauled in a team-high 12 receptions for 66 yards. Washington State found no success running the ball, rushing for only four yards, as their top two running backs, Nakia Watson and Dylan Paine, were out due to injuries. The Cougars will look to snap their losing streak when they face Cal on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m.