PAC-12 Football Power Rankings week ending 12/6
4. UCLA Bruins (3-2)
Last game: The good news is the Bruins left Arizona State with a 25-18 win. The bad news is, UCLA played a team that was idle for three weeks due to COVID-19; got out to a 17-point first half lead; and had to outlast a second half comeback to do it. Oh, they were also out-gained 442-363. Winning the turnover battle 2-0 was the difference-maker for UCLA.
Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his first appearance in three weeks due to contact tracing. He was pretty good in his return. The junior threw for 192 yards with a touchdown and ran for another 49, including a nifty 11-yard TD scamper with 30 seconds remaining in the first half.
Linebacker Caleb Johnson wreaked a little havoc of his own with 10 tackles, including two sacks.
This week: This year’s Battle of Los Angeles takes place at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins would love nothing better than to knock USC off their high horse this week. To do so, UCLA has to find a way to slow down an offense that averages 33.3 points-per-game.
3. Washington Huskies (3-1)
Last game: 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. Then came the kickoff.
Stanford came at the Huskies like Utah did to them 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 last 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 made their stand on the previous series because this one lasted the final 7:47.
This week: Washington was very fortunate that the other Northern California team beat Oregon last week. Once again, the Huskies fate is in their own hands. Win, and they go to the Pac-12 Championship game against either USC or Colorado. Lose and then wait for the Pac-12 to schedule next week’s game. Then play their game after watching the Ducks play for a conference championship that they should part of, themselves.