With an out-of-conference record of 22-5, including records of 4-2 and 1-1 against the Big-10 and SEC, respectively, the Pac-12 has the body of work to be considered one of the top conferences in the nation.
No. 2 Oregon and No. 5 Stanford are the top two teams in the Pac-12, combining to win the last four Pac-12 conference championships. UCLA, No. 17 Washington and No. 23 Arizona State are the other nationally ranked teams while USC and Arizona are both getting votes in the polls.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams’ play so far and our predictions for their likely end-of-season record (not including the post-season) and where they will land in postseason play.
Pac-12 North Division
1. Oregon – 3-0 overall / Prediction: 13-0 overall record (10-0 Pac-12) – BCS national championship game: Alabama vs. Oregon – With wins over ACC and SEC opponents, the Ducks have proven that they can travel and beat any team in the country. Oregon tops the country with 25 touchdowns while ranking second with 61.3 points per game and 672 yards of total offense. Heisman hopeful quarterback Marcus Mariota has thrown for 889 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 262 yards and four touchdowns. De’Anthony Thomas is averaging 113 yards and two touchdowns per game on the ground while wide receiver Josh Huff averages five catches for 100 yards per game.
2. Stanford – 2-0 overall / Prediction: 11-1 record (8-1 Pac-12) – Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Stanford – The Cardinal return eight starters from last year’s defense that was one of the nation’s best according to ESPN. All-American candidates Shayne Skov, Trent Murphy and Ed Reynolds highlight the defense. Stanford had questions at running back entering the season but running behind a massive offensive line is Tyler Gaffney with 40 rushes for 236 yards and three touchdowns.
3. Washington – 2-0 overall / Prediction: 9-3 record (6-3 Pac-12) – Valero Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Washington – Washington already has a signature win on the season, defeating then No.19 Boise State 38-6 in the season opener. Quarterback Keith Price is looking like the 2011 version of himself, passing 51-for-66 with 666 yards and four touchdowns. Bishop Sankey is quickly becoming one of the top running backs in the country, rushing 60 times for 369 yards and three touchdowns, an average 184.5 yards per game, tops in the country.
4. Oregon State – 2-1 overall / Prediction: 7-5 record (5-4 Pac-12) – Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Oregon State vs. Fresno State – The Beavers have the conference’s worst loss, a 49-46 defeat to FCS opponent Eastern Washington in the season opener, but they’ve rebounded with two nice wins against Hawaii and Utah. Quarterback Sean Mannion is 95-for-130 for 1,237 yards and 12 touchdowns throwing to wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Cooks is the team’s biggest offensive threat, having caught 29 passes for 498 yards and 7 touchdowns (No. 1 in the country) on the year.
5. California – 1-2 overall / Prediction: 6-6 record(4-5 Pac-12) – Pinstripe Bowl: Houston vs. California – True freshman Jared Goff has been a revelation for Cal this year, throwing for 1,306 yards on the season, the most of any quarterback in the country. His top targets have been Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs who have combined for 49 catches, 641 yards and four touchdowns. Cal has played the toughest schedule of any Pac-12 team thus far, losing to Northwestern and Ohio State. Both teams are ranked in the top 20 of the country.
6. Washington State – 2-1 overall /Prediction: 5-7 record (3-6 Pac-12) – The Cougars already shocked the nation by going down to Southern California and defeating USC 10-7 in week two. Connor Halliday is the guy leading head coach Mike Leach’s “air raid” offense, throwing for 942 yards and six touchdowns. Gabe Marks, Dom Williams and Kristoff Williams are the team’s leading targets, accounting for 43 catches, 512 yards and three touchdowns.
Pac-12 South Division
1. UCLA – 2-0 overall / Prediction: 10-3 record (7-3 Pac-12) – Holiday Bowl: Baylor vs. UCLA – The Bruins, led by quarterback Brett Hundley, have taken over as the kings of Los Angeles. Hundley has thrown for 568 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Shaq Evans is the team’s leading receiver, catching nine balls for 178 yards (19.8 yards per catch) and two touchdowns and Jordan James is the team’s leading rusher, averaging 130 yards and a touchdown every game.
2. Arizona State – 2-0 overall/ Prediction: 9-3 record (6-3 Pac-12) – Hyundai Sun Bowl: Miami vs. Arizona State – Arizona State picked up a controversial win against Wisconsin in week three, but a win is a win and ASU is still undefeated heading into week four’s showdown with Stanford. Taylor Kelly, who is completing 63 percent of his passes for 652 yards and five touchdowns, primarily throws to Jaelen Strong who has 12 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown.
3. USC – 2-1 overall /Prediction: 8-4 record (6-3 Pac-12) – Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. USC – Head coach Lane Kiffin is on the hot seat after that humiliating defeat to Washington State. After that loss, Kiffin named Cody Kessler the starting quarterback and the Trojans responded with a 35-7 win over Boston College. Kessler has thrown for 373 yards and three touchdowns while Marqise Lee, the reigning Biletnikoff winner, has been held in check for the most part, catching just 17 balls for 221 yards and a touchdown. Tre Madden has taken over the running back duties, rushing for 362 yards and a touchdown.
4. Arizona – 3-0 overall / Prediction: 8-4 record (5-4 Pac-12) – Fight Hunger Bowl: Arizona vs. BYU – While the Wildcats are undefeated, their schedule has been extremely easy and untested. Ka’Deem Carey, the nation’s leading rusher from a year ago, has picked up right where he left off, averaging 150 yards and two touchdowns per game. B.J. Denker is the only Wildcat to throw a pass on the year, going 31-for-55 for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
5. Utah (2-1 overall /Prediction: 5-7 record (3-6 Pac-12) – Heart of Dallas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Utah – The Utes could easily have gone undefeated, but an overtime loss to Oregon State at home kept that from happening. Quarterback Tyler Wilson is completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 845 yards and seven touchdowns. He spreads the ball out evenly to his receivers with five guys having at least eight catches or 100 yards receiving on the year. James Poole gets the majority of the carries (40) for Utah while Wilson has rushed for 244 yards and five touchdowns.
6. Colorado (2-0 overall / 4-8 predicted record (2-7 Pac-12) – The undefeated Buffaloes got a huge break with the return of wide receiver Paul Richardson. Richardson averages 209 yards per game, tops in the country, and has four touchdowns on the year. Throwing to Richardson is Connor Wood, going 56-for-82 for 741 yards and six touchdowns.