Welcome to the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12. Overall, it was another wild week in the conference. There is not an oddsmaker in the world that can consistently pick winners. Every team in the conference except Oregon and Utah have between four and six wins. That means up to 10 teams could end up bowl eligible, most of which at 6-6. What a mess.
Another week, another Pac-12 officiating controversy. This time it was so bad, the conference suspended a referee and downgraded the crew. in last week’s power rankings I literally talked about how bad the officiating is, so this exact same statement applies. “The Pac-12 refs managed to steal the show and become the center of attention. The officiating is so bad that even commissioner Larry Scott who said Pac-12 referees were on par with other conferences at Pac-12 Media had to admit what we all know:”
“I sit through a review every single week with David Coleman, the head of our officiating, and I can tell you there’s a significant number of mistakes every week,” Scott said according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times.
Players and fans deserve better than to have crucial games be affected by horrendous officiating. It’s gotta stop somewhere.
If Oregon and Utah meet with 1-loss in the Pac-12 Championship, the winner should land a spot in the College Football Playoff Top 4.
For Reference Check out the Pac-12 Power Rankings from Week 11.
Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12:
Teams are ranked by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Only games played matter. No consideration is given for future games. The Pac-12 Power Rankings will available on Unafraid Show every Monday morning. Make sure you send your comments and grievances to immad@unafraidshow.com.
12. Arizona Wildcats (4-5, 2-4)
Last Week: IDLE
Nothing bad can happen if you don’t play, but the Wildcats did call into last place of the Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12. Kevin Sumlin has allowed his job security to be threatened by refusing to choose a starting quarterback. The team looks awful not only defensively but inconsistent offensively. It is time to turn the page on Khalil Tate and let the era Grant Gunnell begin. They won’t be beating the Ducks in Eugene, so it’s time to plan for the future.
11. Washington State Cougars (4-5, 1-5)
Last Week: 20-33 (L) at Cal
Everybody thinks Mike Leach press conferences are amazing theatre and they regularly go viral for his off the wall content. His name is also constantly mentioned for every head coaching job that opens, even by me. But, why doesn’t the media trumpet his words when he is railing against his players? This week he called a group of his players frauds. Earlier this year he called his team fat, dumb, happy, and entitled.
I was always taught that teams are a reflection of the head coach. So, if the team is all these bad things, what is the head coach?
10. Stanford Cardinal (4-5, 3-4)
Last Week: 13-16 (L) at Colorado
Colorado had given up at least 30 points in thirteen straight games. How is it possible that Stanford only managed to score 13 with KJ Costello at quarterback. For the second season consecutive season, David Shaw’s team has struggled to run the football. Everything we have seen since the beginning of last season says the “intellectual brutality” that Stanford is known for is broken beyond repair. They are either 10th or 11th in the Pac-12 in total offense, passing offense, and rushing offense.
But hey, the way things go in the Pac-12 you know they will put up 30 points at Washington State.
9. Colorado Buffaloes (4-6, 2-5)
Last Week: 16-13 (W) vs Stanford
Colorado looked like they were on pace to one-up last year’s team that lost seven straight games. But, they pulled out an offensive struggle against Stanford. Yes, I meant an offensive struggle. Neither defense is particularly good, but both offenses were completely underwhelming.
I don’t know what Mel Tucker did or said to his team to get them ready to play but he deserves praise because they were going nowhere fast. Can he bottle it up and get the Buffaloes to do it two more times to make a bowl game?
8. Oregon State Beavers (4-5, 3-3)
Last Week: 7-19 (L) vs Washington
Oregon State is much better, but they are still a loooooooooong way away from competing with Washington, Utah, and Oregon. Their offense came into the Washington game scoring over 32 points per game and didn’t score one point. If Jacob Eason didn’t throw the defense a pick-six, OSU would have been blanked.
The only positive this week for the Beaver was the defense showed up and played their best game of the season against Utah. All that talk about a possible bowl game needs to be stopped immediately.
7. Cal Golden Bears (5-4, 2-4)
Last Week: 33-20 (W) vs Washington State
Cal had only averaged 8 ppg since Chase Garbers went down, but they managed to put up 33 on Wazzu. Devon Modster played a great game and used his athleticism to make plays when things weren’t available via the pass. It seems inevitable that Cal will make a bowl game. They are expecting to have Garbers back under center for the last two games of the season.
Justin Wilcox and Tim DeRuyter clearly have the recipe for stopping Washington’s offense and the Air Raid. On the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, we tell you the secret to stopping the Air Raid and where most teams go wrong.
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6. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4, 2-4)
Last Week: 26-31 (L) vs USC
ASU just slept walked through the first quarter against USC. They gave up 28 points, and it looked like they were going to suffer an all-time loss. But the defense buckled down and only gave up a field goal for the rest of the game. If Jayden Daniels had played I believe Arizona State would have won. But, if “ifs and ands were pots and pans, the whole world would be a kitchen”.
The Sun Devils came extremely close to being the last game for a 3rd USC football coach. They previously sent Lane Kiffin and Seven-win Sark packing. But, the Sun Devils have some serious soul searching to do. They started the season 4-1 and are now losers in three of their last four.
5. USC Trojans (6-4, 5-2)
Last Week: 31-26 (W) vs Arizona State
Clay Helton survives to coach another week. USC is going to a bowl game and might finish 8-4. Wouldn’t that be an incredible set of events that may cause Helton to be the head coach next season? There are so many built-in injury excuses for USC’s failures in 2019.
The Trojans clearly have their quarterback for at least the next two years in freshman Kedon Slovis. Every week he seems to be breaking more and more USC passing records.
4. Washington Huskies (6-4, 3-4)
Last Week: 19-7 (W) at Oregon State
Ewww. What an ugly win by Washington. Huskies fans are so angry about the offensive struggles this season but can’t come to a consensus on where the blame lies. Everyone from Chris Peterson, OC Bush Hamdan, the wide receivers, and Jacob Eason has been blamed. It’s weird, but UW still looks like a quality football team despite being 6-4 this season. They are just having trouble closing football games.
Jacob Eason is such an enigma to me. In the Utah game, he made throws in the first half that prove he could be an NFL 1st round pick. Then he proceeded to throw two awful interceptions including a pix-six that turned the game in Utah’s favor.
3. UCLA Bruins (4-5, 4-2)
Last Week: IDLE
Chip Kelly and the Bruins got a week off to scheme something outrageous up tot beat Utah. They have everything to play for. They still control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South and can make a bowl game. Imagine UCLA and much-maligned QB Dorian Thompson beating the Utes this weekend. Yea, I can’t imagine it either.
However, if UCLA does the unthinkable and wins the Pac-12 South I am going to spike the football so hard on everyone who called me crazy in the preseason.
2. Utah Utes (8-1, 5-1)
Last Week: IDLE
Finish the job. Don’t drink the rat poison. If Kyle Whittingham can keep his team focused on one game at a time and not to worry about their CFB Playoff Rankings, they are golden.
Is Utah better than Oregon? Is Tyler Huntley having the best season of any Pac-12 quarterback?
1. Oregon Ducks (8-1, 6-0)
Last Week: IDLE
Don’t screw it up against Arizona. Last year, Khalil Tate and company put a hurting on the Ducks and flat out embarrassed them. This year, Mario Cristobal needs to make a serious statement to the College Football Playoff committee that they deserve to be in the top 4.
Check back every Monday for the next Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 12.
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