ASU Football: 2018 Pac-12 Week 11 Power Rankings
By Sam Ficarro
ASU football defeated UCLA to stay in the driver’s seat to win the South while Utah and Cal pulled off upsets against Oregon and USC respectively.
Arizona State, in a much tighter game than some expected, defeated UCLA 31-28 on Senior Day to maintain control of their own destiny in the Pac-12 South.
The Sun Devils have road games against Oregon and Arizona to close out the season. Win both and you’re playing for a Pac-12 championship.
Other noteworthy results include No. 8 Washington State defeating Colorado in Boulder, Utah, led by a backup quarterback and running back, stunned Oregon 32-25 and Cal pulled off a shocking upset at the Coliseum defeating USC 15-14.
With that, here are our Pac-12 Week 11 Power Rankings.
Power Rankings: Preseason | Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Week Seven | Week Eight | Week Nine | Week 10
1. Washington State Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Pac-12) Last Week: 1
Following the Cougars’ 31-7 win over Colorado, Gardner Minshew ran up to head coach Mike Leach and stuck a fake moustache over his lips.
It wasn’t the first time the quarterback has left his imprint.
The senior left Folsom Field after tearing up another opponent, this time adding 335 yards and two more touchdowns through the air. With two games remaining, the Cougars have separated themselves as the best team in the conference while holding a glimpse of hope for the College Football Playoff.
The challenges ahead, however, won’t be easy. The Cougars first host Arizona, who has used a resurgent Khalil Tate to pummel opponents through the air. Their defense will be put to the test against an offense averaging 43 points over the last two games.
Then, of course, is the Apple Cup. With the game likely deciding the Pac-12 North title, the Cougars have the opportunity to prove they’re a championship squad or just a diamond in the rough.
Kickoff against the Wildcats will be Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MT.
2. Washington Huskies (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) LW: 2
A bye week gave the Huskies a chance to rest while watching in-state rival Washington State inflict more damage.
With less than two weeks remaining until the Apple Cup, UW could be in for a trap game this Saturday. Senior Night will come before facing the last-place Oregon State Beavers, giving Chris Petersen a laundry list of distractions his team must overcome.
If the Huskies get by, they’ll need all hands on deck to knock off the Cougars. Gardner Minshew continues to dazzle, and the defense has improved by allowing just 20 points in the last two weeks.
With the program’s all-time leading rusher and passer on the same roster, it’s safe to say it’d be a disappointment if the Huskies can’t qualify for a New Year’s Six bowl.
– Booth
3. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) LW: 4
The Sun Devils are red hot riding a three-game win streak and continue to push for the Pac-12 South title. ASU escaped a close one against UCLA to improve to 6-4 and clinching a bowl bid.
The ground game has remained the point of emphasis for the Sun Devils as they rushed for 281 yards collectively on the Bruins. With the win, ASU completed the sweep of the Los Angeles schools.
Now, ASU is faced with the tough task of playing the Oregon Ducks on the road. The Ducks are 5-1 in Eugene this season. If the Sun Devils can pull off another victory, they will match their win total from last year and be one step closer to the Pac-12 title game.
4. Utah Utes (7-3, 5-3 Pac-12) LW: 5
While Arizona State and Arizona have done just about everything to make the Pac-12 South division race more interesting, Utah held its ground against Oregon.
On the game’s final play, UO quarterback Justin Herbert spiked the ball to give the Ducks a shot at the end zone with what appeared to be one second on the clock. However, there were less than three seconds remaining in the contest and the officials signaled the end of the game, helping the Utes escape 32-25.
What stood out in this win was Utah’s ability to compete without starting quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss. In their place, backups Jason Shelley and Armand Shyne led Utah to a pivotal win.
The Utes conclude conference play this weekend at Colorado. With a win, ASU would need to defeat both Oregon and Arizona. Otherwise, Utah will claim the South for the first time since joining the Pac-12.
5. Stanford Cardinal (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) LW: 6
More from Devils in Detail
- Sun Devils Primer: Game 2 vs Oklahoma State
- Sun Devil Insight: Quarterback Room
- Arizona State Spotlight: Kenny Dillingham
- Arizona State 2023 Season Opener: Off To A Good Start
- Arizona State vs USC Prediction and Promo (Expect Offensive Fireworks)
The Cardinal have gone 2-4 since their 4-0 start to the season. Everything has turned sour for David Shaw’s team.
Critical losses to No. 8 Washington State and No. 17 Washington has put the Cardinal in a peculiar position of not being a contender for the Pac-12 North crown but still being a bowl team.
With Bryce Love gone to the NFL after the season, Shaw will most likely use the rest of this season as a starting point for next season.
Improvement from K.J. Costello under center in the final weeks may just give Cardinal fans hope for next year.
6. Arizona Wildcats (5-5, 4-3 Pac-12) LW: 7
Back-to-back victories over Oregon and Colorado have the Wildcats peaking at the right time.
Heading into the season, Tate had Heisman-level expectations. Tate’s dual-threat abilities combined with the arrival of Sumlin pegged this Wildcats team as contender for the Pac-12 South crown.
With only two weeks left in the regular season, the Wildcats are contending but not in the fashion that many expected. A 3-5 record through the first eight games of the season put the Wildcats hopes at a bowl game in jeopardy.
Thankfully for Arizona, the parity of the Pac-12 South has the Wildcats in the thick of the hunt despite not being even bowl eligible.
– Riley
7. Oregon Ducks (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12) LW: 3
Quarterback Justin Herbert ran up to the ball late in the game with two seconds left on the clock down a score against Utah. Herbert ran up to the 50-yard line and spiked the ball and appeared to have one second left for a prayer to attempt to tie the game.
After review, the ball was ruled to have hit the ground with no time left on the clock and reality set in.
With two Pac-12 games remaining on the year, the Ducks will enter a matchup against Arizona State with a 1-3 record in their last four games while sitting at a 6-4 record.
8. California Golden Bears (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12) LW: 9
Following a mid-season skid, California has rebounded nicely as of late. The Golden Bears most recently defeated USC on the road, clinching bowl eligibility and improving their record to 6-4.
Before that, Cal nearly upset Washington State, and the week before, the Golden Bears pulled off the upset of Washington.
It’s too late for Cal to win the Pac-12 North, but it would be a huge stride if it could win its last two games. Left on the schedule are games against Colorado and Stanford.
Cal hasn’t won the “Big Game” since 2009. That could change this year.
9. USC Trojans (5-5, 4-4 Pac-12) LW: 8
In Los Angeles, success is an expectation. At this point in time, it doesn’t seem likely that coach Clay Helton can help USC achieve more than it has through his third full season as head coach.
The Trojans’ remaining chances to win the Pac-12 South evaporated on Saturday following a 15-14 loss to California.
The result puts USC at 5-5 on the year and considerably loosens the grip on Helton’s job security. Granted, injuries have plagued an inexperienced roster but it would be surprising if that is enough to save Helton.
USC finishes the year with its annual rivalry game versus UCLA before wrapping up against No. 3 Notre Dame. It is entirely possible the Trojans don’t reach bowl-eligibility for the first time since 2000.
– Pekale
10. Colorado Buffaloes (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) LW: 10
Another week, another Colorado football loss.
After a 5-0 start to the season, the Buffaloes have lost five in a row and are in jeopardy of missing out on bowl season. In Week 11, Colorado was obliterated at home by No. 8 Washington State.
With games against Utah and Cal remaining, hitting that six-win mark required for bowl eligibility is far from a gimme. But it helps that the Utah game is at home and that the Utes are now without their starting quarterback and running back.
– Field
11. UCLA Bruins (2-8, 2-5 Pac-12) LW: 11
The Bruins have now lost three in a row. It simply just hasn’t been their year. But it is only Chip Kelly’s first season returning to coaching college football, so give it time.
The team hung tough with Arizona State last weekend and only lost by three after being over a 13-point underdog entering the contest.
There were positive signs out of senior quarterback Wilton Speight who threw for 335 yards and two scores. However, the Bruins are in the cellar of the Pac-12 at 2-8 and take on USC in the annual battle for Los Angeles at the Rose Bowl. Then they host Stanford to finish out 2018.
– Schmidt
12. Oregon State Beavers (2-8, 1-6 Pac-12) LW: 12
It was another rough road result for Oregon State losing on The Farm 48-17 against Stanford.
Stanford’s 21-point second quarter broke the game open after OSU only trailed by six after the first quarter.
The Cardinal tallied 596 total yards of offense with quarterback K.J. Costello throwing for 342 yards and four touchdowns.
For the Beavers, running Jermar Jefferson tallied his sixth 100-yard game of the season rushing for 109 yards Saturday.
dark. Next. ASU Football: Improvement from Wilkins has turned into wins
Next up for Oregon State is a trip to Seattle to face the resurgent, 18th-ranked Washington Huskies.