The Pac-12 regular season is officially over. All eyes turn to Friday night when Utah and Oregon face each other in the conference championship. Here are my final Pac-12 power rankings.
1. #5 Utah (11-1)
The Utah Utes finished the regular season with another dominating win – besting Colorado 45-15. Utah held off Oklahoma in the latest College Football Rankings. A win Friday and a Georgia loss in the Sec Championship could be the recipe for a trip to the playoff for the Utes.
Next Opponent: vs Oregon
2. #13 Oregon (10-2)
The Ducks struggled in a 24-10 win over rival Oregon State last Saturday. Can Oregon get right this week as they face their toughest test of the season in the Pac-12 Championship?
Next Opponent: vs Utah
3. #22 USC (8-4)
The Trojans were idle last week after hammering UCLA, 52-35. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any news to report in LA. USC announced that Clay Helton will return next season as head coach.
4. California (7-5)
The Golden Bears were off last week after ending their nine game losing streak to Stanford. With starting quarterback Chase Garbers in, California went 6-2. In both losses with Garbers, he left in the first half due to injuries. Without Garbers, the Golden Bears went just 1-3.
5. Washington (7-5)
Washington’s seventh straight Apple Cup win over Washington State was quickly back page news after the shocking news of Chris Petersen’s resignation. Jimmy Lake takes the helm on Montlake. Petersen’s final game at Washington will be their bowl game.
6. Arizona State (7-5)
The Sun Devils ended their season on a high note, upsetting Oregon and beating rival Arizona. That didn’t stop Herm Edwards from firing his offensive coordinator, tight ends coach, and wide receivers coach. It’s clear that the Sun Devils aren’t messing around under Herm Edwards.
7. Washington State (6-6)
The Cougars lost their seventh straight Apple Cup to the Huskies. And the rumors of Mike Leach leaving once again are already ramping up.
8. Oregon State (5-7)
The Beavers’ quest to a bowl game fell just short in Eugene. Oregon State fell, 24-10 to the Ducks without starting quarterback Jake Luton. Jonathan Smith and company have this program heading in the right direction.
9. Colorado (5-7)
The Buffaloes fell to rival Utah, 45-15. There were ups and downs in year No. 1 for Mel Tucker. Under Tucker, expect a defensive improvement in year two.
10. UCLA (4-8)
The Bruins lost three straight games to end the season after having a mid-season three game winning streak. A disappointing season for Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins who many expected to be much improved.
11. Stanford (4-8)
Stanford’s horrific season came to an end last Saturday – with a 45-24 loss to Notre Dame. It’s back to the drawing board for David Shaw.
12. Arizona (4-8)
The Wildcats ended the season on a seven game losing streak. All seven losses came by 10 or more points. Kevin Sumlin needs a bounce back year desperately in 2020.
