There's no stopping the Ducks, and if there was a team that would, it certainly wasn't going to be Colorado. It was a matchup of the team with the most weeks atop the power rankings against a team with the most weeks at the bottom. It was likely the most lopsided game in the Pac-12 this season, and it showed on both the scoreboard and the field. Next on Oregon's crusade to the College Football Playoff is its rivalry game, "The Civil War," against Oregon State. That should be nearly as lopsided as the Colorado game, though anything can happen in a rivalry game. The Ducks have won six in a row over the Beavers.
In a game they needed to win to keep their fate in their own hands, the Bruins came out and made a statement on the Rose Bowl field Saturday against USC. Sound familiar? ASU had a chance to keep its Pac-12 South fate in its own hands against Oregon State. Instead of making a statement with a blowout win as many expected, the Sun Devils were upset and handed over control of the division to UCLA. Now all the Bruins have to do is beat Stanford on Friday to clinch a trip to the Pac-12 title game.
For a moment — more accurately, about a quarter and a half — it seemed as though the Sun Devils were again going to fall to a team they should beat handily. But this time, ASU responded to adversity and blew out the Cougars, who only got back within three scores after a garbage-time touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Pac-12 South could come down to the winner of the Territorial Cup. But we likely won't know until the end of the game. It all depends on the result of UCLA-Stanford, which kicks off at the exact same time.
The Wildcats overtook the Sun Devils in the AP and coaches polls this week, but they stay behind ASU in the power rankings. UA has the two most impressive road wins in the Pac-12, but the rest of its résumé is nothing but mediocre. With the dominating 42-10 win at Utah to back up its upset at Oregon earlier this season, it makes the Oregon win look like less of a fluke. The Wildcats can further their case for a possible Fiesta/Orange/Cotton/Peach Bowl berth in the Territorial Cup, where ASU will be looking to do the same.
Disclaimer: Neither Stanford nor Washington earned the right to be fifth or sixth in the power rankings, but USC and Utah both got blown out in important games and couldn't not be moved down. So Stanford and Washington benefit as a result. It did come with good timing, though. The Cardinal and the Huskies both put together nice games against California and Oregon State, respectively. Each also gained bowl eligibility with their wins.
Saturday was likely the Huskies most complete performance of the season — at least in Pac-12 play. It certainly was for quarterback Cyler Miles. The redshirt sophomore has faced plenty of criticism in his first year starting under first-year head coach Chris Petersen, who also has his fair share of critics. But the Huskies have opened up the playbook more in the last two weeks and the offense has looked like a competent unit, something that couldn't have been said even a month ago. Miles has been nothing if not efficient this season. He's thrown just two interceptions all season and he continued the trend against the Beavers. Miles completed 18 of 23 passes for 253 yards (second-best on the season) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. If he can keep it up, the Huskies still have a shot at nine wins in Petersen's inaugural season.
I guess the Trojans didn't want to do the Sun Devils any favors after the Jael Mary beat them on their home turf. It's not even that USC didn't come out with a fire under them. The Trojans played well in the first half and kept the game close. But the Bruins completely took control in the second half with the help of some rare mistakes from USC quarterback Cody Kessler. After taking some semi-warranted flak for the Trojans' anemic offense, the junior has been second only to Oregon's Marcus Mariota in terms of Pac-12 signal callers. UCLA's Brett Hundley is in the discussion, too, but Kessler has been nothing less than spectacular this season, throwing 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions, while eclipsing 3,000 yards last game.
Oh, Utah. You were once so promising as a Pac-12 South contender. You came out of nowhere to surprise a lot of people. Alas, the mirage has faded. A 42-10 home loss to UA put an end to the Utes' slim Pac-12 South hopes and eliminated the possibility of a 10-win regular season. Kyle Whittingham's squad should get its ninth win next week in a "rivalry game" against Colorado that's as manufactured as the Mariners and the Padres. The lack of a Pac-12 South crown shouldn't discount what was an extremely successful 2014 season for the Utes, though. They blew expectations out of the water, and things only began to crumble apart when star receiver Dres Anderson sustained a season-ending injury.
It comes down to this for the Golden Bears. Because they couldn't pull out a win over Stanford, they now are faced with beating a 7-4 BYU team to gain bowl eligibility. But like I feel I write in every power rankings; Cal's season shouldn't be dependent on that. It's gone from a one-win team to a five-win team that is playing competitively in one of the best conferences in college football.
It seems like far more than a week ago when the Beavers knocked off the No. 6 team in the country. It was back to normal for the Beavers against Washington in a 37-13 loss to the once-hapless Huskies. Despite a pathetic showing for much of the conference season, the Beavers still somehow have a chance to make a bowl. It's a minuscule chance — OSU has to beat Oregon — but it's a chance nonetheless.
The Cougars played like a team possessed in the first quarter and much of the second against ASU Saturday morning. But they weren't able to hold the Sun Devils down for long. Eventually the Cougars transformed back into themselves and began to allow explosive plays on defense and turn the ball over on offense. It was an outing not unfamiliar to the Cougar faithful. On multiple occasions, Mike Leach's team has come out and played competitively early only to lose control of the game and have the doors blown open.
When a team is favored by 33 points and still manages to cover, it's never a good sign for the loser, especially in a conference game, which is generally expected to be competitive. But nobody had that expectation going into Colorado's game at Oregon. Frankly, Oregon's 44-10 win was probably tame compared to some predictions. The Buffaloes' last chance at a conference win in 2014 comes against Utah. With the way the Utes played against UA, it's not impossible.
Graphics by Evan Webeck | Sports reporter
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EvanWebeck
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