Pac-12 football teams went 11-0 over the weekend, beating lower-level schools and Power Five opponents alike.
Here's how they rank now that they have all had a chance to get on the gridiron.
1. USC Trojans (1-0) Last week: 1
At one point the Trojans were down 21-14 to Western Michigan, but they held off their out-of-conference foes and went on to win 49-31. It was by no means the best game by USC, but the Trojans are still at the top of the Pac-12. One positive was running back Ronald Jones II who ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
2. Washington Huskies (1-0) Last week: 2
Much like USC, the Huskies got off to a slow start on the road against Rutgers. Washington had just a 10-7 halftime lead, but went on to win 30-14. It looks like the Huskies will be able to withstand the loss of wide receiver John Ross because Dante Pettis had an excellent game with a punt return touchdown and 85 receiving yards in the Rutgers game.
3. Stanford Cardinal (1-0) Last week: 3
Stanford was idle over the weekend, which means the team was unaffected in the rankings. The Cardinal walloped Rice 62-7 the week before, but the real test comes next weekend when they travel to Los Angeles to play USC.
4. Washington State Cougars (1-0) Last week: 4
The Cougars actually defeated a lower-tier opponent over the weekend. WSU beat Montana State 31-0 on Saturday, as opposed to losing to Eastern Washington and Portland State in the last two season openers.
5. UCLA Bruins (1-0) Last week: 6
The UCLA Bruins completed one of the largest comebacks in the history of college football by storming back to a 45-44 win over Texas A&M. UCLA was down 44-10 with 2:02 left in the third quarter and came back to win. Quarterback Josh Rosen was an absolute monster, throwing for 491 yards and four touchdowns, including a fake spike to win the game.
6. Colorado Buffaloes (1-0) Last week: 7
The Buffaloes beat Colorado State on Friday, winning 17-3. Colorado's defense forced two turnovers and never really let CSU into the game. Quarterback Steven Montez needs to improve, since he had two interceptions of his own.
7. Utah Utes (1-0) Last week: 5
The Utes took care of business on Friday by beating North Dakota 37-16. Utah stuck to the ground game by rushing for 272 yards. Oregon transfer wide receiver Darren Carrington II caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, which makes for a pretty good first impression. The only reason they were moved down is because UCLA and Colorado both beat better teams.
8. California Golden Bears (1-0) Last week: 11
Cal pulled off the least-expected win of the Pac-12 over the weekend. By winning on the road at North Carolina, the Bears surpassed most expectations. Quarterback Ross Bowers had a solid outing, tossing for 363 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Cal still has plenty to prove in the Pac-12, but a road out-of-conference win against a Power Five team is nothing to scoff at.
9. Oregon Ducks (1-0) Last week: 8
This weekend was a blast from the past for the Ducks. Oregon smacked Southern Utah 77-21 in a game where the team resembled the glory days when the Ducks were led by head coach Chip Kelly. The Ducks looked the part over the weekend, but their real test will be this Saturday when they host the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
10. Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0) Last week: 9
The final score of 37-31 did not totally indicate how the Sun Devils played against New Mexico State; they gave up over 30 points to a lower-tier school, which is not ideal. Granted, NMSU scored most of its points in garbage time, but ASU still allowed 549 yards of total offense. Quarterback Manny Wilkins did have a good game for the Sun Devils, passing for 300 yards and two touchdowns.
11. Arizona Wildcats (1-0) Last week: 10
The Wildcats relied on the ground game against NAU, rushing for 506 yards and seven touchdowns. It was a good performance by Arizona, who got off to a decent start to the season by manhandling an overmatched foe.
12. Oregon State Beavers (1-1) Last week: 12
It must be tough being an OSU fan. After getting shellacked by Colorado State 58-27 the week before, the Beavers bounced back by narrowly escaping the Portland State Vikings, 35-32. If this kind of play continues, Oregon State is going to have a rough time this season.
Reach the reporter at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepressport on Twitter.
