Week Nine in the Pac-12 almost started with an upset as Stanford escaped Corvallis, Khalil Tate wracked up 421 total yards & USC blew out ASU football.
Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate continues to lead the headlines in Pac-12 football as he won his fourth straight Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after tallying 421 total yards in the Wildcats’ upset win over then-No. 15 Washington State.
Other games that stood out in the conference was Stanford surviving at Oregon State, USC bouncing back with a blowout win over Arizona State and Washington defeating UCLA at home.
The College Football Playoff Rankings were released Tuesday with Washington ranked at No. 12, USC at No. 17, Stanford at No. 21, Arizona at No. 22 and Washington State at No. 25.
In this week’s Power Rankings, we have our first tie among teams with shakeup occurring after our top spot. The voters is our football coverage team of Alec Henden, Ethan Schmidt, Hunter Robinson, Jordan Kaye, Killian McClatchey, Sam Ficarro and Zach Pekale.
Power Rankings: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9
1. Washington Huskies (LW: 1)
The Huskies remain atop of our Power Rankings after easily beating UCLA last Saturday 44-23.
Washington’s running game dominated the game as the Huskies rushed for 333 yards with Myles Gaskin finishing with 27 carries, 169 yards and one touchdown and backup running back Lavon Coleman scoring three touchdowns.
The Huskies defense got to UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen relentlessly sacking Rosen four times before he left the game win an injury.
Washington will host Oregon Saturday (7 p.m. PT on FS1) as they look to continue controlling their own destiny in the Pac-12 North.
2. USC Trojans (LW: 4)
What a statement made by USC in Tempe last Saturday night dominating the Sun Devils for a 48-17 victory.
USC’s offense won the battle in the trenches as they protected quarterback Sam Darnold for the large portion of the night and the O-line created large running lanes for Ronald Jones.
Jones had his best game of the season rushing for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
The defense shut down ASU’s offense limiting the Sun Devils to 357 yards and 15 first downs as they couldn’t move the football effectively all night.
USC will host No. 22 Arizona Saturday (7:45 p.m. PT on ESPN) in the de facto Pac-12 South Championship Game as the winner controls their own destiny to win the division.
3. Stanford Cardinal (LW: 3)
Stanford went into Corvallis last Thursday night without their star running back Bryce Love, who was ruled out with an injury.
Oregon State led 14-6 in the third quarter, but Cardinal kicker Jet Toner converted a 40-yard field goal with Stanford winning the game on a 3-yard TD catch by JJ Arcega-Whiteside with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
It was an offensive struggle for Stanford as the finished with just 222 yards of total offense and just 12 first downs.
Stanford’s defense did a pretty good limiting the Beavers recording three takeaways and two sacks.
Next up for Stanford is a trip to Pullman to face No. 25 Washington State Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on FOX.
4. Arizona Wildcats (LW: 6)
Arizona reaches its highest point in our Power Rankings after their 58-37 win over then-No. 15 Washington State behind another monster game from Khalil Tate.
Tate finished last Saturday 10-of-17 passing for 275 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while also rushing the ball 13 times for 146 yards and one touchdown.
The sophomore quarterback was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for a record-setting fourth straight week.
For the first time in #Pac12FB history, one player has won Offensive Player of the Week four weeks in a row: @ArizonaFball’s @KhalilDTN. pic.twitter.com/Lgb66uYJmK
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 30, 2017
Not to be overshadowed was running back J.J. Taylor, who rushed for a team-high 152 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.
Arizona will now travel to Los Angeles to face No. 17 USC Saturday (7:45 p.m. PT on ESPN) with the Pac-12 South on the line.
5. Washington State Cougars (LW: 2)
What a rough night for Wazzou in Tucson last Saturday.
The Cougars out-gained Arizona 646-585, had 19 more first downs and had nearly 18 more minutes time of possession, and it still wasn’t enough for Washington State.
Backup quarterback Tyler Hilinski came into the game towards the end of the first half after head coach Mike Leach benched Luke Falk.
Hilinski spearheaded Washington State’s comeback, eventually giving them a 27-23 lead in the third quarter, but Arizona went on to outscore WSU 35-10 to close out the game.
It will be fascinating to see who Leach opts to start at quarterback Saturday (12:30 p.m. PT on FOX) when Washington State hosts No. 21 Stanford.
6. Arizona State Sun Devils (LW: 5)
It was a forgettable night for Arizona State, as the Sun Devils wasted an opportunity to control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South, losing 48-17 versus USC.
The Sun Devils could not move the ball, as quarterback Manny Wilkins struggled for a third consecutive week, throwing the ball for 259 yards and one touchdown.
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ASU’s running game wasn’t really effective, with running back Demario Richard rushing the ball 15 times for 70 yards and Kalen Ballage sidelined for the majority of the night with an illness.
The defense, who were stout the previous two weeks, struggled to stop USC running back Ronald Jones and pressure quarterback Sam Darnold consistently as they carved up the Sun Devils defense for 607 yards.
It was a disappointing night to say the least, and they will look to get back on track this week when they host Colorado (Sat., 6 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network).
7. Oregon Ducks (LW: 9)
This might have been the most surprising result from Week Nine as the Ducks blew out Utah 41-20 to snap a three-game losing streak.
Oregon finished with 416 total yards with 347 coming on the ground led by running backs Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James.
Freeman and Brooks-James each rushed for over 100 yards, with Brooks-James getting into the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard run.
The Ducks are still looking to get something from the passing game as starter Braxton Burmeister completed 9-of-12 passes for 47 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Charles Nelson contributed in the passing game with a 22-yard TD pass.
Oregon’s rush defense suffocated Utah limiting the Utes to just 91 yards on the ground as well as forcing 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and one fumble.
Next up for Oregon is a road test Saturday (7 p.m. PT on FS1) at No. 12 Washington as they are one win away from bowl eligibility.
T8: UCLA Bruins (LW: 8)
It was a rough afternoon in Seattle last Saturday for UCLA as they were beaten 44-23 by Washington.
Quarterback Josh Rosen was on the ground consistently by the Huskies, and eventually left the game in the third quarter after limping in the second quarter after a sack he took.
Rosen has been pressured to carry the Bruins offense, and it’s made life difficult for him behind a subpar offensive line and a nonexistent running game.
Washington had four sacks against UCLA with the Bruins finishing with just 62 rushing yards.
While we await word on Rosen’s status this week, UCLA is scheduled to play a road game Friday night (6:30 p.m. PT on FS1) at Utah as both look to get back into the win column.
T8: Utah Utes (LW: 7)
Speaking of Utah, the Utes struggled mightily at Oregon last Saturday.
While quarterback Tyler Huntley bounced back after his brutal outing against Arizona State (293 passing yards and 2 TDs), the running game wasn’t there.
The team rushed for 91 yards and three yards/carry with starting running back Zack Moss rushing 10 times for 53 yards and Huntley rushing 16 times for 46 yards.
Wide receiver Darren Carrington II had a great game with nine receptions for 130 yards.
The difference was Utah’s inability to stop Oregon’s running game, allowing 347 yards compared to just 67 passing yards allowed.
Utah will look to right the ship against UCLA Friday night (6:30 p.m. PT on FS1) and halt a four-game losing streak.
10. Colorado Buffaloes (LW: 11)
After getting shut out in Pullman last week, Colorado bounced back with a 44-28 victory over California.
It was an all-around, stellar offensive performance from the Buffaloes with quarterback Steven Montez throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns with running back Phillip Lindsay tacking on 161 yards on the ground.
Wide receiver Shay Fields was the beneficiary of Montez’s productive afternoon finishing with four receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown.
Colorado’s defense had a solid game sacking Golden Bears quarterback Ross Bowers four times with six tackles for loss and an interception.
The Buffaloes are now on the cusp of bowl eligibility and they will to reach the six-win mark Saturday (6 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network) at Arizona State.
11. California Golden Bears (LW: 10)
Cal went into Boulder and suffered a 44-28 defeat as the Golden Bears allowed 553 yards of total offense to Colorado.
The Golden Bears couldn’t contain the Buffaloes pass or run game, and it put pressure on Cal’s offense to match each score, which proved to be unsustainable.
Quarterback Ross Bowers carried the load throwing the ball 52 times, completing 29 passes for 359 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Running back Patrick Laird and the California running game got nothing going, combining for 61 yards on 25 carries for an average of 2.4 yards a carry.
Next up for Cal is a home contest versus Oregon State Saturday at 2 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network.
12. Oregon State Beavers (LW: 12)
What a heartbreaker for Oregon State last Thursday night versus Stanford.
The Beavers were in control against the Cardinal, who were without Heisman candidate Bryce Love, leading 14-6 in the third quarter.
After a field goal late in the third quarter, Stanford scored the decisive touchdown with 20 seconds remaining on a JJ Arcega-Whiteside touchdown catch and OSU lost 15-14.
Oregon State have played hard and been very competitive in two games under interim head coach Cory Hall, leading both games in the fourth quarter.
This is a lost season for Oregon State, but if they can continue to stay competitive while also stealing a win or two, Hall will make a case for becoming the permanent head coach at season’s end.
Next: The song remains the same: USC dominates ASU
Oregon State will look to snag its first Pac-12 win Saturday (2 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Network) at California.