Senior running back Kenjon Barner contributed three rushing touchdowns as No. 3 Oregon defeated ASU 43-21 in 2012. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)1. No. 2 Oregon (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: 48-14 W vs. Wyoming
Oregon remains atop the Pac-12 in a tier of its own. Stanford, UCLA and ASU all have the potential to compete with Oregon for the top spot, but each team has holes that have been exposed early on in the season. The Ducks were played closely in the first quarter by Wyoming, but like every other week, Oregon pulled well ahead by the end.
2. No. 16 Stanford (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) Last week: 35-0 W vs. Army
Besides its nail-biting loss to USC, Stanford has looked stellar. The Cardinal haven't allowed a point in their other two games, against UC Davis and Army, and held the Trojans to just 13. Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan is going to have to keep up his hot start to the season, rather than falling to the perils of inconsistency he has the previous two years.
3. No. 12 UCLA (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: 20-17 W vs. Texas
Redshirt senior Taylor Kelly wasn't the only prominent quarterback to get injured over the weekend. Junior Brett Hundley joined him, reportedly hyperextending his elbow. Sophomore backup Jerry Neuheisal played well enough for the Bruins to forget about Hundley, for at least a little while. Neuheisal completed 76.7 percent of his passes on his way to winning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. It's unknown whether Hundley will be available Thursday, Sept. 25 against ASU.
4. Washington (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: 44-19 W vs. Illinois
Finally, Washington put all the pieces together against Illinois. After two close calls against Hawaii and Eastern Washington, the Huskies combined a potent offensive attack with a surprisingly stout defense to blow out the Fighting Illini. They managed to do it, too, without All-Pac-12 cornerback Marcus Peters and his fellow starting cornerback, freshman Jermaine Kelly, who is reportedly out for the season.
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5. No. 15 ASU (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) Last week: 38-24 W @ Colorado
The Sun Devils' ranking is hurt by the losses of redshirts senior quarterback Taylor Kelly and redshirt sophomore linebacker Laiu Moeakiola against Colorado. ASU has played better than Washington and UCLA but has still shown holes on the defense, which could get bigger if Moeakiola misses time.
6. No. 17 USC (2-1, 1-0 Pac-12) Last week: 37-31 L @ Boston College
The Trojans were almost joined by their cross-town rival, UCLA, in embarassing the Pac-12 over the weekend, but at least the Bruins squeeked out a win over Texas. USC can't say the same thing of their game against Boston College, which they lost 37-31. This seems to be another year that is going to be hard to read USC in. After looking great against Stanford, the Trojans weren't able to get up for what should have been an easy road win.
7. Utah (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: Bye
Utah has played better than expected to start the season, despite playing two overmatched teams. The Utes have scored an average of 57.5 points in their first two games against Idaho State and Fresno State. They get their first real test of the season on the road against Michigan on Saturday.
8. UA (3-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: 35-28 W vs. Nevada
UA, like Utah, is undefeated. Unlike Utah, it hasn't won its last two games very convincingly. The season started off great, with a 58-13 win over UNLV, but the last two weeks have raised plenty of questions. The Wildcats nearly lost to UTSA on the road, then followed up that performance with an equally unimpressive seven-point win over Nevada at home.
9. Oregon State (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: Bye
Oregon State entered the season with expectations to contend in the Pac-12 North. Nothing yet has gotten in the way of those goals, but the Beavers' play could be foreshadowing future struggles. They beat Portland State 29-14 and won by just eight over Hawaii. The offense, led by redshirt senior quarterback Sean Mannion, has looked surprisingly impotent against two defenses that a talented and experienced quarterback should tear up.
UPPER HAND: California junior wide receiver Marvin Jones reaches for a pass over ASU junior cornerback Omar Bolden in 2010. Jones led all receivers with four catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. (Photo Courtesy of the Daily Californian)10. California (2-0, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: Bye
Cal, despite having faced no quality opponents, may be the most surprising team in the Pac-12, simply because it has won two games and not embarrassed itself in the process. Northwestern may end up being Cal's signature win of the season, but right now, the Bears have played well enough to at least pose a threat for a conference win, something they couldn't say last season.
11. Colorado (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) Last week: 38-24 L vs. ASU
The Buffaloes presented more of a test to ASU than most expected, losing by just 14. Part of that could be that ASU lost two key players and didn't score in the fourth quarter, when Taylor Kelly wasn't in the game. Part of that, though, could be that Colorado is improved from last season. Its defense will give up points, and lots of them, but its offense should be able to keep the Buffaloes in games against decent opponents.
12. Washington State (1-2, 0-0 Pac-12) Last week: 59-21 W vs. Portland State
The Cougars season couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. After losing to two mediocre programs in Rutgers and Nevada, the Cougs finally got in the win column over the weekend, beating FCS Portland State 59-21. As expected, the Cougars lead the nation in passing yards, but there's not much else to write home about. They gave up 41 points at home to Rutgers, then were only able to score 13 against Nevada.
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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