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Pacific Northwest Sports continues our PAC-12 football power rankings. We will run this feature through the last Bowl game. It’s a bit difficult in some places to compare or rank teams because of coronavirus related cancellations.
COVID-19 reared its ugly head again. Two games, Washington at Oregon and California at Washington State, fell into the abyss, due to the coronavirus. The latter game got called off 90-minutes before kickoff when one of the Golden Bears players tested positive. Otherwise, it was a great week for Pac-12 football.
The conference put out a schedule for next week. Washington remains unable to field 53 scholarship players (including the entire offensive line) so the Pac-12 pulled them from the Championship game, with Oregon as the replacement Friday night.
Here are our PAC-12 Power Rankings for the week ending December 13, 2020, with a Pacific Northwest twist.
Last Game: This was ugly. Arizona suffered its worst loss in Territorial Cup history as the Wildcats were trounced by Arizona State 70-7. Even Arizona’s star running back Gary Brightwell had a horrible game with 49 yards on 17 carries with three fumbles.
After the embarrassing loss, head coach Kevin Sumlin was fired. He still had two years left on his contract.
This Week: The Cats might have their best chance of the season to win a game. Arizona heads to Cal for their final contest of 2020.
Last game: (12/6) Cal got its first win of the year. Better yet, it was an upset over then 23rd ranked Oregon. A third quarter, 28-yard touchdown pass from Chase Garbers to Nikko Remigio was the only score of the second half. It gave the Golden Bears a lead they never lost.
This Week: Cal hosts the worst team in the conference on Saturday. Arizona has to be demoralized after suffering one of the worst defeats in program history and the susequent firing of their head coach.
Last Week: Not only did the Sun Devils get their first win of the season. They stomped their instate rivals into the ground with a 70-7 butt-kicking. Arizona State ran for 259 yards, and seven touchdowns, led by three scores and 133 yards on 10 carries from Rachaad White. Meanwhile, ASU’s defense forced seven turnovers. Complete and total domination.
This Week: Coming off a huge win, the Sun Devils hit the road. ASU plays Oregon State in Corvallis.
Last game: (12/6) It was an ugly first quarter. After canceling games against Stanford and Washington the prior two weeks, it’s understandable that Washington State would be a little rusty. Further, the Cougs group of defensive backs was painfully thin due to COVID-19 concerns. Even with those factors, USC’s four Kedon Slovis to Amen-Ra St. Brown was totally unexpected.
After another Trojans touchdown in the second quarter, something wonderful happened. Wazzu stood up for themselves. They started hitting as hard as USC was hitting them. Then the Cougs defense said no more. The unit held Southern Cal to only a field goal the rest of the way.
This week: Wazzu faces Utah in a road game. It will be a tough challenge for the Cougs. Utah found their stride, winning two in a row after dropping their opening pair. Although 2–2 isn’t much of a record, it would be a big deal for Washington State to avoid a losing season after all they went through in the last year.
Last game: It was a tough defeat for Oregon State at Reser Stadium in the weekend’s final game. The lead went back and forth during the second half. Two promising Beavers late drives resulted in only three points.
On the first one, OSU stalled out on the three-yard line, then a delay of game penalty took any thought of going for it out of the Beavers’ hands. A field goal tied the game at 24. Following a go-ahead field goal by Stanford, OSU went to work again.
They took the ball down to the Cardinal 35, then quarterback Chance Nolan made a nice play scrambling away from pressure and taking off. Unfortunately, the ball was punched out of his arms a fraction of a second before his knee hit the ground.
This Week: There is no time to sulk because the Beavers take on a team riding a huge high. Oregon State has plenty to prove when they wrap up their season against ASU.
Last Game: It was a huge come from behind victory for the Utes in Boulder, Colorado. Trailing 21–10 in the third quarter, Utah rallied. They scored the final 28 points to win 38–21. Running back Ty Jordan had touchdown runs of 18 and 66 yards in the second half, as part of his 166 yards from scrimmage (147 run, 19 pass).
After allowing a 61-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half, Utah’s defense drew a line in the sand. Colorado only gained 102 yards, the rest of the way.
This Week: The resurgent Utes host Washington State. Utah has a very outside shot at a bowl game, but they have to win this one first.
Last Game: Add UCLA to the list of teams this season who had USC on the ropes only to let them escape at the end. The Bruins had an 18-point lead in the third quarter as well as a two-point lead with under a minute to go. They eventually fell 43–38 on a touchdown with 16 seconds left.
In such a tight game the team that wins the turnover battle usually comes out on top. That wasn’t UCLA. Two interceptions from Dorial Thompson-Robinson and a special teams miscue was the difference. Tight end Greg Dulcich had a heck of a game. The sophomore caught eight passes for 167 yards and a TD.
It’s been a tough season for the Bruins. All three of their losses were by six points or less.
This Week: If the Bruins think they have any chance of a postseason, this week’s game is a must-win. Stanford should expect some angry Bruins when they get to the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
Last Game: Stanford has made winning on the road, the hard way, an art form the last three weeks. First, the Cardinal blocked an extra point against Cal with no time left. Next, they held on for dear life against a furious second-half onslaught from Washington. Finally, there was last Saturday in Corvallis.
Oregon State led most of the game, but could never pull away. Two methodical fourth-quarter drives put Stanford in the lead and ate up 11:34 of the final 19 minutes. Quarterback Davis Mills completed 21-of-29 passing attempts for 292 yards and a touchdown.
This Week: The long and winding road trip finally comes to an end after this week’s game. It will be a test against a group of determined UCLA Bruins Whoever wins this game has may have another one in their immediate future.
Last game: (12/6) Oregon has no one else to blame, but themselves for losing to previously winless California. They scored a touchdown in the final minute of the second quarter to take a 17-14 lead into half time. What should have been a momentum builder was the last time UO put points on the board.
The Ducks offense struggled mightily in the second half, gaining just 117 yards. They had four punts, two fumbles, and a turnover on downs. It spoiled an otherwise good half for Oregon’s defense which gave up a paltry 103 yards.
This Week: Oregon got a Golden Ticket. The good news is the Ducks replace ill-stricken Washington in the Pac-12 Championship game. As for the bad news, UO still has to play undefeated Southern Cal in Los Angeles.
Last Game: The Colorado Buffaloes 2020 season… what could have been. Aside from Utah’s opening drive for a touchdown, the Buffs defense controlled the first half. Their special teams weren’t too bad either. Brenden Rice returned a late second-quarter punt for a touchdown to put his team up 14–7.
On the first play of the second half, Sam Noyer connected with Rice on a 61-yard touchdown pass. The Buffaloes went up by 11 points and were on their way to 5–0. Then all the magic Colorado had this season ran out. Utah went on a 28–0 run and the undefeated season was over.
Next game: Who knows? The Buffs were originally scheduled to play Oregon this week. When Washington had to back out of the Pac-12 Championship game, UO replaced the Huskies, leaving Colorado with no opponent.
Last game: (12/6) What a disappointment for the Washington Huskies. They were undefeated and cruising towards the Pac-12 Championship game. UW had a home game against home-less Stanford. It seemed like the stars were aligned. Then came the kickoff.
Stanford came at the Huskies like Utah did a week earlier, but with greater and more prolonged success. UW had a good opportunity to score a touchdown on their second possession, driving the ball down to Stanford’s eight-yard line. Despite first-and-goal, the Washington Huskies managed two yards on three plays and had to settle for a field goal.
Boosted by their defensive stand, Stanford only needed nine plays to punch the ball into the endzone again. One more Cardinal field goal, and the deficit was 24-3 at the half.
Just like the previous week, the Huskies came out on fire in the second half. They scored their first touchdown on the first possession of the second half. Unlike last week Stanford answered with a TD of their own. From there, Washington went on a 13-0 run (Stanford blocked an extra point for the second straight week).
UW had their chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter after forcing a fumble and running the ball back to Stanford’s 10-yard line with 10 minutes to go. Instead of punching the ball into the endzone for a potential tying score, Washington went backward due to a pair of holding penalties and had to kick a 45-yard field goal.
The Cardinal controlled the ball for the rest of the game. Washington’s defense must have made their stand on the previous series because this one lasted the final 7:47.
Next Game: Washington can’t play in the Pac-12 Championship game, due to COVID-19 running amok on the roster. Their next game is in a bowl, to be determined.
Last game: The comeback kids do it once again. This time USC went on an epic second-half run to overcome a big deficit and win the Battle of Los Angeles, 43–38. It culminated with 16 seconds remaining on an eight-yard touchdown pass. It’s incredible how this team is never out of a game with their quick-strike offense.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis is red-hot. He threw five touchdown passes for the second straight week. After four touchdowns the previous week, Amon-Ra St. Brown was “held” to only two by UCLA. One thing the Trojans can’t do going forward is to give up 544 yards to their opponents.
This Week: USC won the South Division, they host 3–2 Oregon on Friday night. With only six games in the bank, even if they do win, the Trojans won’t go to the College Football Playoffs. But they might have the best offense outside of it.
It’s Pac-12 Championship week. Check back with us next Tuesday for our updated power rankings.