Where do the Pac-12 Programs stand after a fun Week 3?
Photo: Joshua Bessex
Article by Nick Battey
1. Washington
No team in the Pac-12 has made a bigger statement than what UW did on Saturday vs Arizona. The Jimmy Lake defense looked the part while QB Dylan Morris is showing he was the right man for the job. With a short prep week against a much better opponent in Utah we will see if the dominance continues.
2. Oregon
After convincing wins each of the first two weeks, Oregon looked far from dominant against UCLA, as backup Chase Griffin and the Chip Kelly offense had their way vs the Oregon defense. It’s safe to say Oregon has taken a substantial step back on defense this year and they will need to prove they can stop the run with Jamar Jefferson coming their way Friday.
3. USC
The Trojans have started to look better and better each week with their best showing yet vs the Utes on a cold night in Salt Lake City. In a game that USC controlled most of the way, the defense was the top story as it held Utah to zero second half points en-route to a comfortable victory, next up, (COVID permitting) the undefeated Buffs.
4. Colorado
After being off last week due to Arizona State’s COVID outbreak, the Buffaloes will be fighting for the top spot in the South as they travel to the LA Coliseum to face USC. There are many doubters that CU is for real, they’ll have a chance to make a statement game this week to prove them wrong.
5. Arizona State
Another week, another cancelation. This is the third straight week a game has been called off due to the ASU outbreak and hopefully everyone is doing well and we can see Jayden Daniels and that explosive offense back on the field soon.
6. UCLA
A very impressive showing from the Bruins at Autzen Stadium without DTR gives UCLA hope for the future with what they saw from Chase Griffin. It’s safe to say right now that Chip Kelly has a grip on the Bruins offense and will keep them in a lot of games moving forward. Even with a 1-2 record, I see them making a bowl game with the way they’re playing right now. The Bruins face Arizona this week and should make quick work of the Wildcats if they continue their current level of play.
7. Washington State
WSU's game against Stanford was cancelled and now this week's rivalry matchup with Washington was called off as well. Next up for the Cougs is USC.
8. Oregon State
The Beavers are finally on the board with a win! It’s nice to see the Beavers come together and finally get a win after two close losses to begin. Now will be their toughest test yet vs Oregon in the TBD named rivalry (Platypus Bowl)?
9. Utah
We were finally able to see Utah take the field. As the final Power Five team to play a game, you knew there would be some rust especially against a powerful USC team. I get the feeling that we will see a much better version of Kyle Whittingham's team against Washington in what is sure to be an incredibly physical game.
10. Arizona
After some encouraging results from playing USC at home, the exact opposite happened in Seattle. The Wildcats were completely blown out of the building in basically every facet of the game against the Huskies. For Arizona it’s time to regroup and travel to the Rose Bowl to take on a completely different style of offense in UCLA. Time to see which game was the fluke for Kevin Sumlin and Co.
11. California
An incredibly disappointing start for a Cal team that many thought would battle Oregon and Washington for the Pac-12 North. Penalties and turnovers marred the Bears throughout and cost them a very winnable game.
12. Stanford
After losing two games rather handily, the Cardinal had a chance to regroup following an off week and will now look toward the Big Game as a chance to turn the season around and take the Axe back to Palo Alto.
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