The Pac-12 has six teams ranked in the third College Football Playoff poll, which was revealed Tuesday, the most of any conference.
This is the first time the conference has had six teams in the CFP poll since 2016.
USC is now the highest ranked team from the conference. After a 55-17 win over Colorado, the Trojans jumped to the top of the Pac-12 standings and No. 7 in the CFP rankings. This is their highest ever CFP poll ranking and first time they've ever been in the Top 10 in three straight polls.
Utah jumped up to No. 10 following its comfortable win over Stanford.This is the Utes' highest ranking since being ranked fifth in the Dec. 3 poll in 2019.
Oregon is ranked No. 12 after coming out on the wrong side of a thrilling contest with Washington. The Ducks have been in every CFP ranking the last two seasons, all in the top 15
UCLA comes in at No. 16 after falling to Arizona last week. The Bruinshave made the first three CFP rankings of the season for the first time since 2014.
Meanwhile, Washington rose eight spots to No. 17 after its 37-34 win against the Ducks. It'sthe Huskies‘highest CFP ranking since being ranked ninth in the final poll in 2018.
Oregon State re-enters the CFP rankings at No. 23 ahead of its matchup with Arizona State (11:15 a.m. PT, ESPN2). The Beavers were ranked 23rd in the first CFP poll this season.
There will be two ranked games this Saturday. No. 7 USC takes on No. 16 UCLA (5 p.m. PT, FOX) and No. 10 Utah travels to No. 12 Oregon (7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN) as the Pac-12 continues to showcase its strong season this year.
The Crosstown Showdown has major implications on both the CFP and Pac-12 Football Championship Game. A Trojans win would enhance their CFP resume, keeping pace for one of the four playoff spots and clinch a spot in the Pac-12 title game. A UCLA victory puts the Bruins in a prime position to make the conference championship game.
There's a similar case out in Eugene with a pair of teams with one loss in conference play.With only one week remaining in the regular season after Saturday, the winner of the Utah-Oregon contest is in the driver's for a title game spot.
USC, Utah, Oregon, UCLA and Washington are still contention for the league title.The top two teams will meet in the 2022 Pac-12 Football Championship Game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Dec. 2. Tickets can be purchased atPac-12.com/Tickets.
