Cougars stay in command

1. Washington State (9-1)

As expected, the Cougars did their thing against Colorado, handling the Buffaloes 31-7. We keep talking about WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew, but the real heroes in Pullman are the defensive players. After the fourth minute of the first quarter, the Cougars didn’t let CU anywhere near scoring anymore points. As far as we’re concerned, Washington State is doing everything that they need to do. We’ll see where they go after their final two regular season games.

 2. Washington (7-3)

There’s no better feeling than coming off of a well rested bye week knowing you play Oregon State at home. Though this time of the season has been good for the Huskies, it has been noticed that Washington has been struggling quite a bit this season. Their tough loss to Oregon and California, close call wins and team chemistry all points to something off. Either way, we’ll find out if the Huskies are really here to win when they take on Washington State on Nov. 23.

 3. Utah (7-3)

Have you seen the Utes? They’re one of the hottest teams in the nation right now. Even with both star quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss out with injuries, Utah still found a way to put the Oregon Ducks down 32-25. Lead by backup freshman quarterback Jason Shelley, who ran in two touchdowns of his own, the Utes stand strong a one of the best teams in the Pac-12, if not the nation. If they keep this up, Utah could be up for the Pac-12 championship.

 4. Arizona State (6-4)

During senior night as Arizona State Stadium, senior quarterback Manny Wilkins helped his team earn a 31-28 win over the UCLA Bruins this past weekend in his final game at Sun Devil Stadium. Wilkins ended up going for 259 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, two being on the ground to guide his team to another victory. As ASU continues to push for the Pac-12 South title, it’ll be interesting how they handle Oregon in Eugene next Saturday, Nov. 17.

 5. Stanford (6-4)

If we learned anything from Stanford’s 48-17 win over Oregon State last Saturday, it’s that the Cardinal are not looking for anymore upsets this season. Nothing helps a team hit the reset button on there season like crushing the worst team in the Pac-12. In the game, Stanford quarterback K.J. Castello threw for 342 yards and four touchdowns, all scores going to to tight end Colby Parkinson. If Stanford wants to stay on track, they should win out against California and UCLA.

 6. Oregon (6-4)

New coach, new problems. Once again, the Ducks failed to seal a win against a team they should’ve beaten. One thing Oregon has struggled with this season is coming in clutch when the game is on the line. Late in the game, UO quarterback Justin Herbert helped the team get a 25-22 lead with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Jaylon Redd. The defense however, couldn’t stop Utah. If the Ducks want to keep up, their defense needs to step up in the moment.

 7. California (6-4)

If you watched the Golden Bears this weekend, you saw one of the most amazing second half comebacks this season. California defeated the USC Trojans 15-14 in a close, but stellar game. Trailing 0-14 at the half, California quarterback Chase Garbers lead his team to 15 unanswered points by throwing and running for individual scores. Currently 3-4 in the Pac-12, California will ride their wave onto their home turf as they host Stanford and Colorado for their final games of the season. 

 8. Arizona (5-5)

Though their overall record isn’t very settling, the Wildcats are actually one of the top teams in the conference. Currently 4-3 in the Pac-12, Arizona could still make a big impact. After their dominant performance against Oregon and Colorado, the Wildcats have been resting up on their bye week in preparation for one of their biggest games of the year. This weekend, Arizona takes on the Washington State Cougars, and we think there could be an upset in the midst.

 9. USC (5-5)

If we had to look up the definition of the word ‘choking’, it would be followed by USC Football. After leading 14-0 at the half, USC suffered from a safety on a high snap, a costly interception and two scores from a shifty California offense. Nothing hurts more than blowing a two-score lead, but at least USC knows they play the the 2-8 UCLA Bruins. If the Trojans want to stay in the race, they need to fix their offensive issue and beat the Bruins. 

 10. Colorado (5-5)

We don’t know what was harder to watch, the Buffaloes getting blown out by WSU or just their season crashing and burning in general. After going 5-0 at the start of the season, Colorado has now lost five games in a row and are tied for last in the Pac-12 South with UCLA. Although they did score first against Washington State, CU’s offense was almost nonexistent. Next week, they take on a tough but damaged Utah team which could be a make-or-break for the Buffaloes. 

 11. UCLA (2-8)

After their three point loss to Arizona State, UCLA will remain at the bottom end of our listings due to their overall record. If one thing is for sure though, it’s that the Bruins are indeed better than Oregon State. We’ve seen much improvement from UCLA in the past few weeks, and the fact that they don’t allow over 40 points per game is the real decision factor. Next week, the Bruins take on a shaky USC team who are looking to break their even record.

 12. Oregon State (2-8)

How do you allow four touchdowns to one tight end? In all seriousness, there wasn’t much positive found in Oregon State’s blowout loss to Stanford this weekend. Other than OSU freshman running back Jermar Jefferson going for 109 yards on the ground, it seems as if the Beavers have come back down to Earth. Next week, Oregon State will take on Washington in Seattle, a game in which is heavily favored towards the Huskies.