It was a fairly quiet week in the Pac-12 with four teams off and only one conference matchup. Still, Stanford proved they are class of the Pac-12 with a big win, while the conference finished with a 7-1 record on the weekend. Here are the week four rankings:
1(2). Stanford (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12): Yes, the second half against ASU wasn’t smooth, but the Cardinal made a statement against the Sun Devils. They looked like the defending Pac-12 Champions and silenced the critics who questioned their blasé first two games of the 2013 season. It will be hard to dethrone the Cardinal from the top spot moving forward this season.
2(1). Oregon (3-0): It was a bye week for the Ducks, who welcome the Cal Bears to Autzen Stadium next Saturday as they begin their quest to regain the Pac-12 Championship.
3(3). UCLA (3-0): The Bruins are the undisputed leader of the Pac-12 South four games into the season. They are clicking on all facets of the game, led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley and junior running back Jordon James, who ran for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the Bruins 59-13 win over New Mexico State.
4(4). Washington (3-0): The Huskies continue to play with incredible confidence, knocking off Idaho State 56-0 to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2001. UA heads to Seattle next week to begin the Huskies’ Pac-12 slate. Time to see if the Huskies can move one step closer to contending with the big boys.
5(5). Arizona State (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12): The Sun Devils looked terrible in the first half against Stanford, getting outscored 29-0. Still, they bounced back nicely in the second half against a Cardinal team that has legitimate national championship aspirations. A win versus USC at home next week would ease a lot of this week’s pain.
6(10). Utah (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12): The Utes had a wonderful bounce-back win and claimed their fourth straight victory in the Holy War on the road against BYU. The Utes are already a battle-tested team but face their biggest test of this year next Saturday at home versus UCLA. A Utah win will really shake up the conference rankings.
7(7). Washington State (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12): The Cougars have already equaled their win total from 2012, but surpassing it next week will be no easy task with Pac-12 champs Stanford coming to town. Junior quarterback Connor Halliday threw four touchdowns passes in the first half against Idaho on Saturday, and the Huskies' offense seems to be clicking.
8(6). UA (3-0): The Wildcats slipped this week for two reasons: They had a bye week, and they are still completely unproven after three cupcake non-conference opponents. The Wildcats are headed to noisy Husky Stadium next week and, with a win, can prove they deserve their higher ranking back.
9(11). Colorado (2-0): The Buffaloes were off for the second straight week and can only hope they won’t be rusty next Saturday when they open up Pac-12 play at Oregon State.
10(8). USC (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12): Let’s face it: The Trojans aren’t good. Sure, Utah State is a quality opponent, but a good Trojans team beats the Aggies by three touchdowns. Next Saturday’s matchup at Arizona State will be a pivotal moment in the 2013 Trojans season. A win would put the Trojans back in striking distance in the South but a loss would put Lane Kiffin and his team in a deep hole early in Pac-12 conference play.
11(9). Oregon State (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12): Are the Beavers really this mediocre? A week after a quality road win over Utah, the Beavers needed all 60 minutes to defeat a bad San Diego State team. Thankfully, a potentially rusty Colorado team comes to Corvallis next weekend, but the Beavers really need to step up their game to move up the ladder as the Pac-12 schedule heats up.
12(12). California (1-2): The Bears were off this week following last week’s 52-34 home loss to Ohio State. The Bears might not be the worst team in the conference, but now there’s really no dispute, as they are the only team carrying a losing record. A trip to Eugene next weekend probably won’t provide any solace.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu or on Twitter @DsShapi
