1. Oregon
On Saturday, Oregon threw for 471 yards and ran for another 216 yards — otherwise known as a typical day in Eugene. The Ducks ran wild and shellacked Tennessee 59-14. The No. 2 ranked Ducks will host Cal and its 122nd ranked defense to kick-off the Pac-12 season, so it’s safe to assume we’ll see much of the same.
2. UCLA
Brett Hundley continues to impress. After falling behind 21-3 in the second quarter to No. 18 Nebraska, the sophomore quarterback led the Bruins on a blinding tear to snag the lead from the Cornhuskers, scoring 35 unanswered points in a blazing 16 minutes. The Bruins take on New Mexico State at home next week before kicking off a grueling Pac-12 slate against Utah in Salt Lake City.
3. Stanford
The Cardinal are unbeaten after their first two games against San Jose State and Army. But after failing to put away Army on Saturday in a 34-20 win, it might be time to start wondering if Stanford is capable of repeating the success it had last season.
4. Washington
The Dawgs keep barking. Keith Price might be in range of sniffing the Heisman after a woof-tastic performance at Soldier Field against Illinois on Saturday, completing 80 percent of his passes and throwing for 342 yards. The defense did concede 24 points to a middling Illini squad — the unit may be the equivalent of the Huskies chasing their own tail.
5. Arizona State
A win is a win is a win. The Sun Devils just squeezed by No. 20 Wisconsin on Saturday night, with a little assistance from the referees. If you haven’t seen the video, check it out. Regardless, ASU is a talented football team, led by a monster on the defensive line in Will Sutton. Look for them to wreak havoc when their Pac-12 slate starts.
6. Arizona
Granted, the Wildcats have yet to face a quality competitor, but in their three games against Northern Arizona, UNLV and UTSA, the defense has looked much improved. Their current average number of points allowed per game of 8.7 ranks third in the country — a figure that would’ve seemed like a mirage under head coach Rich Rodriguez just a year ago.
7. USC
Amid the “Fire Kiffin” chants and the players-only meeting that may or may not have taken place, USC still managed to come away victorious against Boston College. Quarterback Cody Kessler tossed just as many touchdown passes as incompletions — two — and the Trojan run game accounted for 257 yards. Regardless of whom they were playing, the win marks an improvement for USC.
8. Oregon State
Sean Mannion’s five touchdown passes on Saturday were just enough for the Beavers to sneak by the Utes in overtime. For a team that was topped by Eastern Washington, beating a decent Utah squad on the road is a step in the right direction. But at the same time, Oregon State entered the season ranked in the top 25, and now it’s allowing 260 rushing yards to a decent football team.
9. Washington State
Have the Cougars … forgotten how to Coug? Washington State extended its winning streak to two weeks with a 48-10 blowout of Southern Utah in Pullman. Mike Leach’s Air Raid offenses are reaching extremes: So far, the Cougars have thrown almost twice as many times as they’ve run. Still, it’s working — for now.
10. Utah
The Utes held their own against Oregon State but ultimately fell short in overtime. Led by quarterback Travis Wilson, Utah displayed both a potent passing and rushing attack, racking up 539 total yards of offense. The main concern for Utah lies with its defense, which was dissected by Beavers quarterback Sean Mannion, who nearly eclipsed 450 passing yards.
11. Cal
The Bears did pretty much exactly what was expected of them against No. 4 Ohio State this weekend — put up a ton of yards and allow them at an even faster rate. Jared Goff still leads the nation in passing, impressive mostly because after throwing 160 times, his arm has yet to fall off.
12. Colorado
When it rains, it pours. The Buffs’ date with Fresno State was postponed due to flooding, leaving them stuck in last place in the Daily Cal’s power rankings. After winning just one game last season, Colorado has already doubled its win total. Whether or not Colorado can climb up the rankings remains to be seen, but the Buffs’ 27th-ranked total defense should come in handy.
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