Pac-12 Power Rankings: Week 4

The first number one team in Arizona Desert Swarm's Power Rankings has gone down, after Stanford upset USC Saturday night.

It was a very good week for the Pac-12 in general (minus Colorado).Several teams could make a claim to be considered in the top five, and slotting 6-10 was difficult as well. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the conference as a whole is much more competitive top to bottom, than in years past.

Conference play begins league-wide this week, with five Pac-12 games on the schedule.

1) Oregon (3-0, 0-0) -The Ducks take over the top spot from fallen USC after thrashing Tennessee Tech. Oregon hosts their first Pac-12 home game of the year this Saturday night when Arizona comes to Eugene. The Ducks have played nobody so far, and Saturday night should be an early season indicator of where both teams are at. Hint: Oregon is still very good and Arizona may be more competitive than we thought on September 1.

Next: vs.Arizona

2) Stanford (3-0, 1-0) -The Cardinal pulled off the upset Saturday night and jumped up the rankings. The Andrew Luck Hangover appears to be gone, and that defense can still create some havoc.

Next: BYE

3) UCLA (3-0, 0-0) -The Bruins were a chic pick by many commentators to be a surprise team this fall, and thus far they have done nothing to dispel that prediction. The Bruins looked great against Houston, and host Oregon State this week as the nation's 19th ranked team.

Next: vs. Oregon State

4) USC (2-1, 0-1) - Four straight losses to Stanford. That seems pretty unbelievable. Here's to guessing the Trojans are going to be less than hospitable to Cal this weekend.

Next: vs. Cal

5) Arizona (3-0, 0-0) -The Cats did exactly what was expected and demolished an inferior opponent. Not much else to say about these cash games. This week, Arizona faces a team with slightly more skill. Seriously, the Oregon game will be a huge measuring stick for Rich Rod, especially after how the Ducks ran all over Arizona Stadium last fall.

Next:@ Oregon

6) ASU (2-1, 0-0) - Sparky put up some serious fight at Mizzou, and almost grabbed a spotlight win for the conference. But, they didn't. How they handle the adversity after a tough loss will be telling. They appear talented enough to be a major player in the conference race, but we've definitely heard that before.

Next: vs. Utah

7) Oregon State (1-0, 0-0) -Bye week after the Wisconsin win. They fall in the rankings because they've only played one game, and everyone in front of them has had three games to impress. Very big game this weekend at UCLA. A win here will send the Beavers climbing back up.

Next:@ UCLA

8) Utah (2-1, 0-0) -The Utes took down hated-rival BYU Saturday, but still sit so low because I can't get the Utah State game out of my memory. Even without Jordan Wynn, Utah is extremely talented, and I do not expect them to be out of top five for long.

Next: @ ASU

9) Washington (2-1, 0-0) -The Dawgs beat up on Portland State, and like Arizona, did what was expected. Washington is likely deserving of a higher spot in the rankings, but so far they haven't beaten anyone that would vault them up.

Next: BYE

10) Cal (1-2, 0-0) -The Golden Bears fell just short of a hard-fought upset in Columbus to Ohio State. They certainly showed more fight than expected. The schedule makers did not give them any favors in Week four, as they travel to Los Angeles to face the Trojans.

Next:@ USC

11) Washington State (2-1, 0-0) -Wazzu took care of UNLV and came away with an important road win. Bowl eligibility for the Cougs could come down to winning games like these, and even though the defense gave up miles of yards, the offense is starting to click.

Next: vs. Colorado

12) Colorado (0-3, 0-0) -I'm sorry, Buffs fans. Arizona fans have been there (See: Mackovic era).

Next:@ Washington State