Pac-12 Power Rankings updated after Week 1
After all the changes the Pac-12 has gone through over the last couple of months, Week 1 represented a return to football, and what a glorious return it was. The conference announced itself to the college football world in grand fashion. Each Pac-12 team was victorious in Week 1, something that no other conference in college football can say. It may be the Pac-12’s final season as we know it, but it’s off to a roaring start.
Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans continued their College Football Playoff march, while quarterbacks like Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix staked their claim to the Heisman race.Additionally, Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes bursted onto the scene with the biggest victory of the weekend, defeating last season’s runner-up in the TCU Horned Frogs, representing one of the more shocking upsets we’ve seen.
Following Week 1, On3 has updated their Pac-12 Power Rankings. Here’s where things stand at the moment in the conference.
1) USC Trojans (2-0)
The Trojans are the lone 2-0 squad in the Pac-12, as they started their season in Week 0 against San Jose State. In Week 1, they kept rolling against Nevada, racing to a 66-14 victory over the Wolfpack.
In the showdown, the aforementioned Caleb Williams put on a show, passing for 319 yards and five touchdowns, and rushing three times for 42 yards. USC has a bigger test in Stanford this weekend, but will be hoping to stay the course in Week 2.
2) Washington Huskies (1-0)
The Michael Penix Jr. Heisman campaign is off to a fantastic start. Washington’s star quarterback had himself a day in Week 1 against Boise State, accumulating 450 passing yards and five touchdowns in the Huskies’ opening contest.
Washington has designs on winning the Pac-12, and Week 1 did nothing to quell their hype. Tulsa is coming to town in Week 2, and the Huskies will look to make a statement once again.
3) Oregon Ducks (1-0)
If you looked at the final score in Oregon’s opening weekend showdown, your jaw probably dropped down to the floor. The Ducks put up 81 points against Portland State, led by three touchdowns from quarterback Bo Nix.
It was a fantastic tune-up for what should be a tough one this weekend for Oregon. They’ll have to travel to Lubbock, Texas, taking on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Week 2.
4) Utah Utes (1-0)
The Utes got their season started last Thursday, getting a measure of revenge against the Florida Gators in Week 1. Utah was able to avenge their season-opening loss from 2022, and they’re off and running for their new campaign.
Impressively, the Utes got the job done without quarterback Cam Rising, who’s still recovering from an injury. With a matchup against the Baylor Bears on the road in Week 2, the Utes could have two pretty impressive victories on their resume if they’re able to find a win.
5) Colorado Buffaloes (1-0)
The biggest story in the Pac-12 was Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes getting a win in his debut game for the program. Sanders’ led his team to a shocking upset of TCU, and put the rest of the college football world on notice.
Now the question becomes, did Colorado simply catch the Horned Frogs off guard, or are the Buffaloes for real? We’ll find out on Saturday, as Sanders’ bunch returns to Boulder to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
6) Oregon State Beavers (1-0)
In the final game of the weekend for the Pac-12, Oregon State gave a notice to the rest of the conference that they’re for real. The Beavers dismantled San Jose State by a score of 42-17, and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei showed out.
The Clemson transfer passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns in his Oregon State debut. Perhaps the reports of his demise were wrong, and Uiagalelei will continue to come into his own for the Beavers.
7) UCLA Bruins (1-0)
It wasn’t always pretty, but UCLA is 1-0 in 2023 under Chip Kelly, so the end result was what the Bruins wanted. Although they were victorious over Coastal Carolina, there’s plenty of questions surrounding UCLA.
One has to wonder where they’ll turn at quarterback. While Ethan Garbers got the start, it was Dante Moore who led UCLA to victory. Kelly will have to find out who his signal caller is to get the season really rolling in Los Angeles.
8) Washington State Cougars (1-0)
Ward passed for 451 yards and three touchdowns, and added 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Washington State could be one of the sneakier teams in the Pac-12 moving forward, but they’ll have their hands full with Wisconsin this weekend.
While Washington State doesn’t know what they’ll be doing in 2024, Cameron Ward and the Cougars dismantled Colorado State to start 2023. The Cougars defeated their opponent by a score of 50-24, hitting the ground running.
9) Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
The Wildcats beat down North Arizona on Saturday, holding their opponents to three points as they scored 38 themselves. Jedd Fisch has Arizona looking much better in 2023, but Week 2 provides a litmus test for his squad.
A trip to Starkville to play Mississippi State is what’s on the docket for the Wildcats. An SEC victory would be huge for Arizona, but it won’t come easy. If they accomplish their goal, morale will be at a high though.
10) California Golden Bears (1-0)
Cal finally knows where they’ll be playing in 2023, as the Golden Bears are headed to the ACC. However, there was business on the field to take care of, as they traveled to North Texas in Week 1.
Nevertheless, the Golden Bears took care of business and then some, defeating North Texas by a score of 58-21. Running back Jaydn Ott had himself a day, toting the rock 20 times for 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
11) Stanford Cardinal (1-0)
Much like Cal, Stanford also found out they were headed to the ACC earlier last week. Perhaps it helped their confidence, as the Cardinal defeated the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors by a score of 37-24.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels had himself a big night, as he passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. A tough test is coming against the USC Trojans, but an upset could do wonders for the Cardinal.
12) Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0)
Arizona State gave their fans a scare in Week 1, as Southern Utah almost pulled the upset over the Sun Devils, as ASU was only able to win by a field goal. Still, there were some positives to take away from Week 1 for the Sun Devils.
True-freshman Jaden Rashada had himself an impressive night, passing for 236 yard and two touchdowns. A big test is coming for Arizona State against BYU this weekend, but a win would go a long way to quelling concerns for 2023.
Alas, it’ll be fascinating to keep up with the Pac-12 throughout the season, especially if the level of play is as phenomenal as it was in Week 1. The conference may be the most exciting in college football, and it’s only fitting for them to go out on a high note in 2023. That’ll continue in Week 2.
On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this article.