By Brenden Slaughter

Senior Reporter

1. Arizona State 15-3: (6-0 Pac-12)

The Sun Devils are still at the top of the rankings because they won both of last week’s contests against Colorado and Utah by an average of 24 points. They are No. 8 in the AP poll, and haven’t been challenged in Pac-12 play so far. With two contests against rival Arizona looming, the Sun Devils are prime to get another sweep this weekend. 

2. Oregon State: 14-3 (5-1): 

After the most impressive comeback win in the tenure of OSU head coach Scott Rueck, the Beavers check in second. The Beavers were down 15 points to the Cardinal, and came back to win with a massive fourth quarter. This team’s senior leadership is the best in the conference — it showed first by beating Cal, and then it was even more on display against the Cardinal.

3. Stanford 14-4: (4-2) 

The Cardinal coulda, woulda, shoulda been ranked second, but a fourth quarter collapse to OSU keeps the Cardinal locked at No. 3. The Cardinal were almost upset at the hands of the Oregon Ducks earlier in the week, and then imploded against the Beavers. The Cardinal can reaffirm themselves as a contender with winnable games against the Los Angeles schools this week.

4. UCLA :12-5 (4-2) 

The Bruins have still been too inconsistent for me. They barely split with the Washington schools, beating the Cougars by only two points. With Stanford and Cal coming to town this week, the Bruins will have the opportunity to get back on track, but if they falter, they will take a nosedive in next week’s set of rankings.

5. Washington: 14-4 (5-2) 

The Huskies quietly have put themselves in third place in the conference standings after winning their last three games. They swept two ranked teams this last week in UCLA and USC, and their resume is beginning to speak for itself. They play their rival Washington State this weekend, and if they secure the victory, it will be their fourth straight win. This team looks like the real deal.

6. Utah: 12-5 (4-2)

After being my sleeper team last week, Utah fell slightly because they weren’t competitive against Arizona State. They lost by 20 to ASU, and barely beat Arizona. They play a red hot Oregon State team, and an improving Oregon team this week, and unless they pull off a miracle against the Beavers, the Utes will hold steady at No. 6.

7. USC: 14-4 (2-4)

After such a promising win against rival UCLA, and entering the AP poll at No. 25, the Trojans laid an egg against the Washington schools. I was very high on this team, and thought they had the talent to be one of the conference’s elite, but instead left the Evergreen State battered and bruised.

8. Washington State: 12-6 (3-4)

The Cougars are on the cusp of rising to a higher spot, but inconsistency on the Palouse has plagued the Cougars. After getting crushed by ASU by 18 points two weeks ago, the Cougars upset then No. 25 USC, before losing a heartbreaker to No. 17 UCLA by two points. The Cougars play Washington this weekend, if they can upend the soaring Huskies, look for them to be in the top five next week.

9. Arizona: 11-7 (2-4)

Arizona is a team that just can’t find a rhythm. The Wildcats have lost three of their last four games and their victory in that stretch is against Colorado, who is still looking for their first win in conference. Arizona got the victory against the Buffs, but now play the best team in the league in Arizona State twice in one week. Ouch. We will check on the Wildcats next week to make sure they are still breathing.

10. Oregon: 12-5 (1-5)

 The Ducks are so close you can feel it. After going 11-0 to start the season, the Ducks have stumbled to a 1-5 conference record. However, they did get their first conference victory of the season against Cal. The next test for the Ducks is this week against Colorado and Utah. These are both winnable games for them, and if they can get a road sweep, they could still salvage this season.

11. California: 10-7 (1-5)

If it wasn’t for Colorado, Cal would be the worst team in the conference. The Golden Bears only win is a blowout victory against the Buffaloes. Outside of Colorado, Cal has lost all five of their other conference games. Cal could be in deep water as they play a very talented UCLA team and a hungry USC next week.

12. Colorado: 5-12 (0-6)

Just like last week, Colorado wishes they could just hit the reset button on this season. The have lost seven straight games, including six in a row in conference. They have no continuity and haven’t been particularly competitive in those losses either. You all might want to look the other way when the Buffs host OSU this weekend.

On Twitter @b_slaught