PAC-12 Football Power Rankings week ending 11/23
9. Oregon State Beavers (1–2)
Last game: (11/21) An honest to goodness win for the Oregon State Beavers, 31–27 over the University of California. OSU running back Jermar Jefferson absolutely devastated Cal’s defense. He ran for 196 yards on 18 carries (10.9 average) and scored a touchdown.
Too bad the Pac-12 is only playing seven (7) games this season. Otherwise, the OSU yard eater would be a Heisman candidate. He still might break 1,000 yards in 2021, which would be a huge accomplishment.
This week: The Beavers host the game formerly known as “The Civil War” against the University of Oregon. It would be huge for Oregon State to knock their in-state rivals out of any chance (albeit slim) for a spot in the National Championship hunt.
8. Utah Utes (0–1)
Last game: (11/21). It was a tie game, 10–10, until five minutes into the second quarter. Then Southern Cal poured it on. From then on, the Utes offense couldn’t get out of its own way. Final Score USC 31 – Utah 17.
This week: Two weeks without a game, then they faced USC. Now Utah gets redirected to the Washington Huskies at the last minute. Not very fair, but it’s a situation the Pac-12 brought on themselves with a late start.
7. UCLA Bruins (1–2)
Last game: (11/21) Even with freshman Chase Griffin replacing Dorian Thompson-Robinson for coronavirus reasons, it was a game UCLA should have won. Four turnovers cost the Bruins dearly in a 38–35 loss to Oregon at Autzen Stadium. The biggest misstep was Griffin’s pick-six as time expired in the first half.
This week: The Bruins can get back to .500 with a win at home against Arizona. They better shore up their defense because the Wildcats can put points on the board in a hurry.