Week 12 Pac-12 football power rankings

Nathaniel Levin

November 20, 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.

Week 12 of Pac-12 football was heavily lopsided, with several blowout wins and only a single one-possession game. As we head into the final week of the Pac-12 play, the University of Oregon and the University of Arizona are the last two teams with a shot at making it to the Pac-12 title game to face off against the University of Washington.

To recap the weekend, No. 5 Washington edged out No. 11 Oregon State in rainy conditions to remain unbeaten. No. 6 Oregon cruised past ASU, No. 17 Arizona dominated No. 22 University of Utah and UCLA eased past USC on the road.

Meanwhile, the University of California Berkeley topped rival Stanford University in the Big Game and Washington State University pummeled the University of Colorado, as Cal and Washington State kept their bowl hopes alive heading into the season’s final week.

No. 5 Washington 22 – No. 10 Oregon State 20

No. 5 Washington fended off a late rally by No. 10 Oregon State to secure its spot in the Pac-12 Championship with a 22-20 victory over the Beavers.

No. 5 Washington 11-0 (8-0):

The Huskies have remained unbeaten despite winning their last six games with a margin of 10 points or less. Heisman contender Michael Penix Jr. had a quiet game but still produced when it mattered. The sixth-year senior threw for a season-low 162 yards but still factored into each of the Huskies’ three touchdowns, throwing for two and rushing for another. Receiver Rome Odunze picked up his second straight 100-yard game as the junior hauled seven receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. With their win, Washington extends their winning streak to 18 straight games, which ranks second behind the University of Georgia’s 28-game winning streak.

Next up: Washington hosts Washington State in the Apple Cup on Saturday, Nov 25 at 2 p.m.

No. 10 Oregon State 8-3 (5-3):

For the second time this season, DJ Uiagalelei’s passing yards were below 170, and he couldn’t throw any touchdown passes, marking the first time this season. Uiagalelei threw for 164 yards and two interceptions but rushed for 53 yards on six carries. Amid the struggles in the passing game, Beaver running back Damien Martinez rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Despite outscoring the Huskies 10-0 in the second half, the Beaver’s comeback attempt fell short in the final quarter as they couldn’t advance past midfield on their final possession, failing to reach field goal range.

Next up: Although eliminated from the Pac-12 Championship contention, Oregon State can play spoiler against No. 6 Oregon and crush their Pac-12 title hopes on Friday, Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Bo Nix’s six touchdowns led No. 6 Oregon past ASU 49-13, as the Ducks edge closer to punching their ticket to the Pac-12 Championship for a rematch against Washington.

No. 6 Oregon 49 – ASU 13

No. 6 Oregon 10-1 (7-1):

The Ducks jumped out early and never looked back, cruising past ASU. Nix played arguably the best game of his career. The fifth-year senior converted 83% of his passes, throwing for 404 yards and a career-high six touchdowns, all of which were in the first half. Duck receiver Troy Franklin reached 100 yards for the seventh time this season, as the junior caught eight passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks’ offense ranks second in the country in yards per game, combined for 6,003 total yards, compared to ASU’s 3,561 yards.

Next Up: Oregon hosts No. 15 Oregon State on Friday, Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m. With a win, the Ducks will punch their ticket to the Pac-12 Championship for a chance at redemption against Washington.

ASU 3-8 (2-6):

After stunning UCLA last weekend, the Sun Devils could not repeat as Oregon rolled over them in a one-sided affair. Trenton Bourguet failed to top 150 passing yards for the second straight week as the junior threw for only 142 yards. Running back Cameron Skattebo completed two passes for 45 yards, rushed for 49 yards on eight carries and caught one for six yards. After being shut out in the first half, the Sun Devils scored on three of the four possessions in the second half, but they were still held to under 20 points for the third straight week.

Next Up: ASU wraps up the season against its in-state rivals, No. 16 Arizona, in the Territorial Cup on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 1:30 p.m.

No. 19 Arizona 42 – No. 16 Utah

No. 19 Arizona jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back, cruising past No. 16 Utah 42-18, keeping its Pac-12 Championship hopes alive.

No. 19 Arizona 8-3 (6-2):

The Wildcats throttled Utah, the two-time reigning Pac-12 Champion, in their final Pac-12 home game. Freshman Noah Fifita completed 73% of his passes, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns, helping Arizona collect its fourth victory over a ranked opponent for the first time since 1989. Fifita’s high school teammate wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan picked up his second straight 100-yard game, as the sophomore caught eight passes for 116 yards and one touchdown. In addition, McMillan threw a 21-yard touchdown pass on Arizona’s opening drive to help jumpstart the Wildcats electric afternoon. Arizona’s defense nabbed two interceptions and blocked a Utah punt, which was retrieved for a Wildcat touchdown.

Next up: Arizona looks to extend its winning streak to six straight games when they travel to Tempe to face its in-state rivals, ASU, in the Territorial Cup on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 1:30 p.m.

No. 22 Utah 7-4 (4-4):

Utah could not crawl out of its early 28-point deficit, as the Utes have now dropped three of their last four games. Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes threw for a career-high 320 yards and two touchdowns. However, Barnes threw two interceptions in Arizona’s territory, stalling their attempts at rallying from their early deficit. Receiver Devaughn Vele picked up his second straight 100-yard game after failing to hit the century mark in Utah’s first eight games. The junior caught nine passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. The Utah defense, which held opponents to under 22 points in each of their first five games, has allowed 34 or more points in four of its last five games, with Arizona’s 42 points being a season-high.

Next up: Utah will look to rebound and get back on track when they host Colorado on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m.

UCLA 38 – USC 20

The Bruins rebounded from back-to-back losses to beat rival USC 38-20, spoiling reigning Heisman winner and USC quarterback Caleb Williams’ final home game.

UCLA 7-4 (4-4):

After playing sloppy football in their last two matchups, the Bruins played one of their better games of the season to get back into the win column. UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers completed a season-low 58% of his passes, throwing for 155 yards. However, the junior threw a career-high three touchdowns, two of which came in the second half, helping the Bruins pull away from the Trojans. Meanwhile, UCLA running back TJ Harden rushed for a career-high 142 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries. The sophomore bounced back after rushing for a combined 67 yards in his last two matchups.

Next up: UCLA wraps up its regular season when they host Cal on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m.

USC 7-5 (5-4):

After opening the season 6-0, the Trojans went 1-5 down the stretch. The USC defense has looked abysmal all season. In each of their last eight games, the Trojans have surrendered 34 or more points. Amid the defensive struggles, reigning Heisman winner Williams performed as usual, throwing for 384 yards and one touchdown in what may be his final game as a Trojan. Brenden Rice hauled in eight receptions for a season-high 147 yards and one touchdown, his 12th on the season. Unfortunately, the Trojans had no luck developing a run game, as they rushed for only three yards, a season-low.

Next up: USC wraps up its regular season up against UCLA and now must wait a few weeks to find out where they will be headed for Bowl Season.

Cal 27 – Stanford 15

Cal beat Stanford 27–15 in the Big Game to keep their bowl hopes alive.

Cal 5-6 (3-5):

Fernando Mendoza threw for a career-high 294 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Golden Bears pick up their second straight win. Receiver Trond Grizzell hauled seven receptions for a career-high 136 yards and two touchdowns. While the air attack found success against the struggling Stanford defense, the run game also played a pivotal role for Cal behind Pac-12 leading rusher Jaydn Ott. Behind a season-high 36 carries, Ott rushed for 166 yards and one touchdown, as the sophomore rushed for 150 yards for the fifth time this season.

Next up: Cal faces UCLA on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 8:30 p.m. as the Golden Bears aim to become bowl-eligible with a win against the Bruins.

Stanford 3-8 (2-7):

Stanford’s offense struggled to find its footing against Cal. Ashton Daniels failed to exceed 200 yards for the second time over Stanford’s last six games. The sophomore threw for 188 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 67 yards on 12 carries. Elic Ayomanor, the team’s leading receiver, was held to only three receptions for 43 yards. Meanwhile, sophomore tight end Sam Roush was the only bright spot in Stanford’s offense, as he had four receptions for a season-high 62 yards. As a team, however, the Cardinal was outgained 455-289 and failed to find the consistency they needed to turn the game around.

Next up: Stanford wraps up its season against No. 17 Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m.

Washington State 56 – Colorado 14

Washington State snapped its six-game losing streak to keep their bowl hopes alive with a commanding 56-14 victory over Colorado.

Washington State 5-6 (2-6):

The Cougars started the season strong with four consecutive wins but then hit a rough patch, losing six straight games before this victory. Washington State snapped its six-game losing streak with a dominant win over the Buffaloes. Quarterback Cameron Ward threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns, while receiver Josh Kelly had another impressive game, hauling six receptions for 130 yards. Defensive end Brennan Jackson recovered two fumbles and returned both for touchdowns. Jackson’s first recovery was returned 40 yards, and his second was returned 70 yards.

Next up: With this win, Washington State improves to 5-6, and to become bowl-eligible, the Cougars need to beat in-state rival No. 4 Washington on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m.

Colorado 4-7 (1-7):

After a promising start to the Deion Sanders (Coach Prime) era, Colorado has dropped seven of their last eight and had its bowl game hopes dashed after a blowout loss against a struggling Washington State team. Shedeur Sanders left the game early in the second quarter after getting hit hard on a bad snap. He had completed six out of 10 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown before leaving. Ryan Staub took over from him, but he didn’t fare much better, completing only five of his 14 passes and throwing for 56 yards. The Buffaloes’ pass protection has been a significant issue all season, as Colorado has allowed 54 sacks, the most in the FBS.

Next up: Colorado looks to finish the season with a win when they travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah on Saturday, Nov. 25, at 1 p.m.