Pac-12 Football Power Rankings – Week Ending 11/22
2. #10 Oregon Ducks (9-2, 7-1)
Last Game: Oregon 20 – Utah 17
Don’t underestimate the heart of a champion. Ducks quarterback Bo Nix played this game on one leg.
Due to his limited mobility, Oregon needed their running game to step up. It didn’t. UO gained just 59 rushing yards.
Even though Utah also took away his number one receiver Tony Franklin, Nix still completed 25 of 37 passes for 287 yards.
Meanwhile, Oregon’s defense forced 3 interceptions and held Utah 4 times on fourth down.
This Week: at Oregon State, 12:30 PM – ABC
Oregon has everything on the line this week. With a win, they play next week in the Pac-12 Championship game against USC.
Nix is the engine that makes the Ducks run. A foot injury makes his status for Saturday uncertain. He’ll be evaluated before the game to see if he can go.
Even if Nix can play, how effective will he be? Oregon needs him as close to his best on Saturday with so much at stake.
1. #5 USC Trojans (10–1, 8-1)
Last Game: USC 48 – UCLA 45
What a thriller. This was the other Pac-12 knockout game for a shot at the conference championship.
USC stood tall even without starting running back Travis Dye. His replacement Austin Jones did quite well, picking up 120 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 4 receptions for an additional 57 yards.
Trojan quarterback Caleb Jones was outstanding. He completed 32 of 43 passes for 470 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
This Week: vs. #13 Notre Dame, 4:30 PM – ABC
USC remains in the pressure cooker. They already locked up a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game. But the Trojans are playing for so much more. With a win, USC likely jumps the Michigan-Ohio State loser in the BCS poll.
Which Notre Dame team will arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday? Is it the one that lost to Marshall in Game 2 (and Stanford a few weeks later) or the team that’s won five straight, including a 35-14 victory over Clemson?
Whichever one shows up at L.A. Memorial Coliseum, it’s up to them to stop USC’s offense.
Next week, we’ll have condensed power rankings, as our focus will focus on the upcoming bowl games.