PAC-12 Football Power Rankings – Week Ending 11/1
2. #9 USC Trojans (7–1, 5-1)
Last Game: USC 45 – Arizona 37
Southern California got into an unexpected dog fight in Tucson last week. They couldn’t put Arizona away until the fourth quarter.
Caleb Williams kept himself in the Heisman race. The Trojans quarterback threw for 411 yards and 5 touchdowns.
This Week: vs. California, 12:30 PM – FS1
The Trojans are at home against a bad team. Consider Cal a minor speed bump on USCs road to the Pac-12 Championship game.
1. #8 Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1)
Last Game: Oregon 42 – California 24
Make it seven wins in a row for 8th-ranked Oregon after they manhandled California on the road. UO won by 18 points, and the game wasn’t anywhere near that close.
Two weeks ago against UCLA, Bo Nix threw for 5 touchdowns. This week he passed for 3 and ran for 3 more. His final passing numbers were 27 of 35 for 412 yards (with two picks), and Nix added 59 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Nix has accounted for 11 touchdowns in two weeks. Those are Heisman numbers. At the least, Nix is the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year.
And Oregon plays defense too. Before coach Dan Lanning pulled his starters in the fourth quarter, Cal had only 252 yards of offense, and 57 of it came on a great catch by Jeremiah Hunter.
This Week: vs. Colorado, 12:30 PM – ESPN
Oregon knows they have to win out to make the College Football Playoff. This is their last easy game of the year. After Colorado, it’s Washington, Utah, and Oregon State.
They will make an example of CU this week, sending notice to their upcoming foes.
Check back with us next week for our updated power rankings.