Pac-12 football power rankings 2022: Oregon makes stand at No. 1, USC rises (2024)

By beating UCLA to the tune of 45-30, Oregon strengthened its grip on controlling its own destiny. With sole possession of first place in the Pac-12, the Ducks are in a position to show once again that to sit on the west coast's grandest throne, you must topple the Pacific Northwest power. Oregon again dominated on the ground, rushing for 262 yards, but the biggest story of the afternoon was the headline-capturing performance by quarterback Bo Nix who threw five touchdowns and just six incompletions.

While enjoying the bye week, USC moved up a spot in the rankings because suddenly Oregon and USC appear to be on a collision course that ends in Las Vegas. UCLA has been special this season, but when facing the best offense it's seen thus far, defensive stops were hard to come by. As great as Oregon's offense is, USC's is unrivaled in terms of the players in its system, which could bode bad news for the Bruins. Also, yes, USC lost to Utah, but it came in the depths of Rice-Eccles Stadium, where headaches and miscues are common for opponents.

USC could see a quick to return to action for a pair of star players as wide receiver Jordan Addison and linebacker Eric Gentry each avoided serious injuries against Utah, according to head coach Lincoln Riley.

"They'll be day-to-day," Riley said via USCFootball.com. "We've got a little bit of time with them, which is fortunate on our part. We'll be smart with them this week. I don't think it's anything long term with either one of them."

UCLA's drop is not severe because it shouldn't be. Although the outing against Oregon was a rough one, UCLA still controls its own destiny and has the star tandem of quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Zach Charbonnet, which is the best in the conference. Just like the Bruins could be in trouble against USC when the time comes, the Trojans will have just as much trouble with UCLA, which boasts a veteran group that'll be deadset on defending Pasadena from the men of Troy.

Utah had the biggest win of the season thus far when knocking off USC because the Utes responded in a significant way to what likely was a must-win game. Having lost to UCLA the previous week, a loss to the Trojans would've given Utah it's second in conference play which could've been hazardous in a razor-thin race to the top two slots. Like Oregon and UCLA, the Utes control their own destiny and have a date with the Ducks in a little under a month that'll provide clarity to the Pac-12 Championship picture.

Oregon State throttled Colorado as it continues to flex its muscle against foes not named USC and Utah, who handed the Beavers their only defeats. Again under center was quarterback Ben Gulbranson and again, he showed why he belongs there, throwing for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-22 passing. The Beavers also saw a heavy contribution to its offense by running back Damien Marquez, who ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Oregon State has the weekend off before looking to become the first team this season to win on the road against Washington.

Quietly marching through the night is the Washington Huskies, who secured their first road victory of the season while beating California, 28-21, in the Bay Area. Due to its two losses and a struggling secondary, Washington winning the Pac-12 isn't realistic, but a potentially great finish to the season is brewing. The Huskies won't be in action this weekend, but its next bout is against Oregon State, which could be a treat, but really, Seattle's eyespeek ahead at the following weekend's clash with arch-rival Oregon.

Since entering Pac-12 play, Washington State had opportunities against Oregon and USC but came away defeated in both affairs. Will that change Saturday against Utah? If Wazzu receives the version of quarterback Cameron Ward that impressed against USC then it's certainly possible, but his receivers have to show up and make plays as well. Ward had moments where he's been turnover-friendly, which hasUtah cornerback Clark Phillips III licking his lips when hunting for interceptions.

Prior to this weekend, California's latest outing had resulted in a 20-13 overtime loss to Colorado. So in true Pac-12 fashion, the Golden Bears went out Saturday and nearly toppled Washington – football in the Conference of Champions can sometimes be confusing. Cal' trailed 6-0 after the opening half, but both teams eventually found success in the third quarter, which left the game knotted at 14-apiece heading into the final frame. From there, the Golden Bears could not finish the job and are now the loser of their last three meetings.

After beating Notre Dame last weekend, Stanfordedged out Arizona State 15-14. The Cardinal trailed 14-6 at halftime and, although it wasn't pretty, used three field goals throughout the remaining two quarters to overcome the deficit and secure its first winning streak of the year. Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee received a helping hand from his pass-catchers as four players caught five or more passes. Next up for Stanford is a date with UCLA, where the Cardinal could shake up the Pac-12 race in a major way.

Arizona saw its schedule ramp up after beating Colorado, facing Oregon and Washington in consecutive weeks. Now after enjoying a bye week, the Wildcats battle the USC Trojans who could have pent-up frustration after being left heartbroken in Salt Lake City. With that being said, don't count Arizona out because quarterback Jayden de Laura and his talented group of pass-catchers give the rebuilding program a puncher's chance against overlooking foes. Remember that note about the schedule picking up? – well, Arizona faces Utah and UCLA after its upcoming battle with USC.

Being this low on the Pac-12 power rankings just isn't up to par for Arizona State, but for what it's worth, interim coach Shaun Aguano has the Sun Devils competing. Dating back to the offseason, ASU has had countless things go wrong but in that locker room is a group that's playing with belief in the message Aguano is preaching. Losing to Stanford in the fashion that it did undoubtedly stung Arizona State but the effort can't be questioned – which wasn't the case earlier in the season against Eastern Michigan.

The Colorado Buffaloes ran into trouble against Oregon State, but it's been made clear that these aren't the Beavers of old. In other words, Colorado who has struggled in a major way, lost to a team that resides in the upper half of the conference's better teams. It's hard to find a person who wasn't happy for the Buffs' after downing California to secure their first victory of the season. Finding a second one might be unrealistic, with dates against Oregon, USC, Washington and Utah looming.