Week 13 Pac-12 football power rankings

Nathaniel Levin

November 27, 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.

The final Pac-12 football regular season came to a close as Week 13 marked the end of the 2023 regular season. The Pac-12 Championship Game will feature the No. 3 University of Washington and No. 5 University of Oregon on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m.

To recap the weekend, No. 4 Washington defeated Washington State University with a last-second field goal to remain unbeaten, while No. 6 Oregon cruised past No. 16 Oregon State University, punching the Ducks’ ticket to the conference championship. The No. 15 Arizona football team set records in its dominant win over ASU.

The University of Utah snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory over the University of Colorado Boulder. The University of California Berkeley clinched bowl eligibility with a win over UCLA, and the No. 18 University of Notre Dame crushed Stanford University.

No. 4 Washington 24 – Washington State 21

No. 4 Washington capped off its undefeated regular season with a walk-off field goal by Grady Gross to beat Washington State 24-21 in the Apple Cup.

No. 4 Washington (12-0, 9-0 in Pac-12):

Although Washington’s past eight wins have been decided by 10 points or less, the Huskies became the first Pac-12 team to finish the regular season unbeaten since Oregon in 2010. Michael Penix Jr. didn’t have the best night and was held in check for the most part, throwing for only 204 yards and two touchdowns, marking the second straight week he threw for under 205 yards. Penix’s late-season struggles have caused him to slip in the Heisman race, although he still remains a contender entering conference championship week. Meanwhile, wide receiver Rome Odunze performed well, picking up his third straight 100-yard game and catching seven passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Next up: The Huskies will face off against No. 5 Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. with a chance of punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Editor’s note: Washington rose to No. 3 in the Week 14 AP Poll and rose to No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Washington State (5-7, 2-7 in Pac-12):

The Cougars opened the season 4-0 but finished the season 1-7, missing out on a bowl game for the second time since 2015. Quarterback Cameron Ward threw for 317 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Ward finished the season third in passing yards in the Pac-12 with 3,732 yards and fifth in passing touchdowns with 25. Meanwhile, Josh Kelly had yet another strong night, recording his third straight 100-yard game, catching eight passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Lincoln Victor and Kyle Williams were also key players, each with over 80 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Saturday’s matchup marked the final Apple Cup in Pac-12 play, as the Huskies transition to the Big Ten Conference while the Cougars remain in the Pac-12, but both teams will continue playing every year through 2028.

No. 6 Oregon 31 – No. 16 Oregon State 7

No. 6 Oregon dominated No. 16 Oregon State 31-7, punching a ticket to the Pac-12 Championship for a rematch against No. 3 Washington.

No. 6 Oregon (11-1, 8-1 in Pac-12):

Bo Nix completed nearly 83% of his passes, throwing for 367 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Ducks secure their spot in the Pac-12 Championship. Oregon‘s high-scoring offense, led by Nix, ranks second with 541 yards per game and scoring with 45.3 points per game. The Ducks had two receivers eclipse the century mark: Tez Johnson and Troy Franklin. Johnson finished with 11 receptions for 137 yards as the junior recorded his third 120-yard game in Oregon’s last four games, while Franklin recorded his eighth 100-yard game, hauling nine catches for 128 yards and one touchdown.

Next up: The Ducks face off against No. 3 Washington in the Pac-12 Championship on Friday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. The Ducks’ lone loss this season came against the Huskies and a victory on Friday could send Oregon into the College Football Playoff.

Editor’s note: Oregon rose to No. 5 in the Week 14 AP Poll and rose to No. 5 in the CFP rankings.

No. 16 Oregon State (8-4, 5-4 in Pac-12):

The Beavers‘ struggles seem apparent as of late, as they dropped their second straight game and third over their last five. Despite their 8-4 record, they will have to face their upcoming bowl game without the head coach that got them there in Jonathan Smith, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Michigan State University. This news came following the Beavers‘ Friday night loss against the Ducks. The Beavers were outgained 480-273 in total yards. Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw for 220 yards and one touchdown, and his top target, Anthony Gould, hauled in six passes for 85 yards.

Editor’s note: Oregon State fell to No. 21 in the Week 14 AP Poll and fell to No. 20 in the CFP rankings.

No. 16 Arizona 59 – ASU 23

Noah Fifita threw for a school-record 527 yards and five touchdowns as No. 16 Arizona smashed ASU 59-23 in the Territorial Cup.

No. 16 Arizona (9-3, 7-2 in Pac-12):

The Wildcats set several records in their blowout victory over ASU. Arizona’s 36-point win was the largest road victory margin in Territorial Cup history. Tight end Tanner McLachlan hauled in seven passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns as the senior collected his 76th career reception, breaking Rob Gronkowski’s school record of 75 career receptions. In addition, as mentioned earlier, Fifita threw for a school-record 527 yards and five touchdowns. Tetairoa McMillan hauled in 11 receptions for 266 yards and one touchdown as the sophomore receiver eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season. The Wildcats outgained the Sun Devils 619-306 yards in total yards and 527-82 in passing yards.

Editor’s note: Arizona rose to No. 14 in the Week 14 AP Poll and remained at No. 15 in the CFP Rankings.

ASU (3-9, 2-7 in Pac-12):

After jumping out to a 7-3 lead in the first quarter following a four-yard run by Cameron Skattebo, the Sun Devils were outscored 56-16 over the next 51 minutes, as ASU suffered their third loss by 35 or more points over their last four games. The Sun Devils failed to develop any passing game. Freshman quarterback Jaden Rashada threw for 82 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. With their struggles in their air prevalent, the Sun Devils relied on their ground game, rushing for 224 yards, led by Skattebo, who rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

Utah 23 – Colorado 17

Utah’s ground attack led the way for the Utes as they defeated Colorado 23-17 in the regular season finale.

Utah (8-4, 5-4 in Pac-12):

The Utes outgained the Buffaloes 268-37 on the ground, led by sophomore Jaylon Glover, who rushed for a career-high 107 yards on 17 carries. Sione Vaki and Ja’Quinden Jackson both rushed for 68 yards apiece on a combined 28 carries. Meanwhile, Luke Bottari made his first career start, the junior threw for 61 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. Utah nearly doubled in possession time compared to Colorado, holding possession for 39 minutes compared to the Buffaloes’ 21 minutes.

Colorado (4-8, 1-8 in Pac-12):

After opening the season 3-0 and ranked inside the top 20 in the AP Poll, the Buffaloes closed the season with an abysmal 1-8 record, failing to reach a bowl game in head coach Deion Sanders’ first season at the helm. Colorado battled several injuries throughout the season and struggled defensively. With quarterback Shedeur Sanders out due to what was revealed to be a back fracture, the Buffaloes were led by freshman Ryan Staub, who threw for 195 yards and one touchdown in his first start. Two-way star Travis Hunter hauled in eight receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown.

Cal 33 – UCLA 7

Cal dominated UCLA 33-7, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019.

Cal (6-6, 4-5 in Pac-12):

After opening the season 3-6, the Golden Bears won their final three games to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 2019. Fernando Mendoza overcame two early interceptions, as the freshman threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Hunter, Mendoza‘s top target, hauled in eight passes for a season-high 101 yards and two touchdowns. Jaydn Ott rushed for 80 yards on 21 carries but failed to score a rushing touchdown for the first time since mid-October. However, Ott returned a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown midway into the second quarter, sparking a run of 27 straight points for the Golden Bears.

UCLA (7-5, 4-5 in Pac-12):

The Bruins limped their way to the finish, going 1-3 down the stretch. The Bruins also finished the season with a losing record in conference play, leaving head coach Chip Kelly on the hot seat. Ball security was a significant issue for UCLA in the 26-point loss against Cal. Quarterback Dante Moore threw for 266 yards and one touchdown, but the freshman turned the ball over three times, with two interceptions and one lost fumble. Moore made his first start in over a month, as the Bruins have alternated the starting quarterback role throughout the season. Logan Loya led UCLA with nine receptions for 88 yards and one touchdown.

No. 18 Notre Dame 56 – Stanford 23

No. 18 Notre Dame cruised past Stanford 56-23, handing the Cardinal its third straight 3-9 season.

Stanford (3-9, 2-7 in Pac-12)

The Cardinal has failed to win more than four games in five straight seasons, boasting a record of 17-37 over that timeframe. Stanford was outgained 521-359 by the Fighting Irish. Ashton Daniels threw for 152 yards and one interception, while backup quarterbacks Ari Patu, Justin Lamson and Beau Nelson combined for 125 rushing yards. Running back E.J. Smith hauled in seven receptions for a career-high 116 yards. Elic Ayomanor had 58 receiving yards, bringing his season total to 1,013 yards and making him the first Cardinal pass-catcher since 2018 to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season.