Pac-12 Week 7 Power Rankings: Oregon Upsets Washington

Oct 15, 2018, 10:36 PM

Photo courtesy of the Oregon Football Facebook page

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – No. 17 Oregon knocked off No. 7 Washington in overtime at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The big win puts Oregon in the driver’s seat in the North Division.

The loss for Washington means that it is almost certain that the Pac-12 will not be represented in the College Football Playoff for the second straight season. Washington had the best chance to get in if they won the rest of their games including the Pac-12 Championship but have now lost two games.

Here’s how the Pac-12 schools did in the seventh week of play. Teams are listed by division, in order of their KSL Sports Power Ranking.

NORTH:

1. Oregon (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Beat No. 7 Washington 30-27 in overtime at home

Recap: The highly anticipated matchup lived up to expectations. After the Ducks took a 24-17 lead with 5:59 remaining in the game, Washington tied the game with 2:32 left. In overtime, the Huskies hit a 22-yard field goal and Oregon sealed the win on a 6-yard run from running back Verdell, adding to his 111 rushing yards on 29 carries. Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

Previous Ranking: 2

Next up: at No. 25 Washington State, Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on FOX

2. Washington (5-2, 3-2 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to No. 17 Oregon 30-27 in overtime on the road

Recap: Washington lost their first conference game of the season in heartbreaking fashion. They had a chance to win the game in regulation but kicker Peyton Henry missed the field goal following a timeout by Oregon to freeze the kicker. Quarterback Jake Browning had 243 yards passing on 15-of-25 attempts to go with one touchdown and one interception. The Huskies racked up 194 rushing yards led by Myles Gaskin with 69 yards and Salvon Ahmed had 61 yards and two touchdowns.

Previous Ranking: 1

Next up: vs. Colorado, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on FOX

3. Stanford (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Bye week

Recap: The Cardinal hope to snap their two game losing skid. They also hope to have running back Bryce Love back after missing their game against Utah on October 6 with an ankle injury.

Previous Ranking: 3

Next up: at Arizona State, Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN

4. Washington State (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Bye week

Recap: Following their week off, the Cougars received some good news. First is that they cracked the Top 25 in the AP poll at No. 25. Second is that ESPN’s College Gameday will be doing their show in Pullman for the first time ever on Saturday. Washington State hopes to add to their two game winning streak when they face Oregon.

Previous Ranking: 4

Next up: vs. No. 12 Oregon, Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on FOX

5. California (3-3, 0-3 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to UCLA 37-7 at home

Recap: Just three weeks ago, the Golden Bears were ranked and were undefeated. Now, they have lost three in a row and their latest defeat was to the worst team in the conference. The game got away in the fourth quarter when UCLA outscored Cal 17-0. Quarterback Brandon McIlwain threw two interceptions with his 168 yards. Running back Patrick Laird had 17 carries for 94 yards and one touchdown. The Golden Bear’s defense allowed 207 rushing yards.

Previous Ranking: 5

Next up: at Oregon State, Saturday at 2 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network

6. Oregon State (1-5, 0-3 Pac-12)

Result: Bye week

Recap: Having the week off, the Beavers look to regroup and search for their first conference win of the season. They have a chance to against California on Saturday.

Previous Ranking: 6

Next up: vs. California, Saturday at 2 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network

SOUTH:

1. USC (4-2, 3-1 Pac-12)

Result: Beat No. 19 Colorado 31-20 at home

Recap: The Trojans were lifted to victory by their defense. Forcing one turnover, that proved to be very critical as they returned the interception for a touchdown. They held the Buffaloes to 170 passing yards and 95 rushing yards. USC quarterback JT Daniels threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing two interceptions. Wide receiver Michael Pittman had a big game, racking up 155 yards on six receptions.

Previous Ranking: 3

Next up: at Utah, Saturday at 6 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network

FINAL: USC 31, Colorado 20

Trojans come out on top in a Pac-12 South battle!#FightOn pic.twitter.com/B7c0kZVaF2

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) October 14, 2018

2. Colorado (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Beat Arizona State 28-21 at home

Recap: The Buffaloes couldn’t get anything going on offense, registering just 265 yards. Quarterback Steven Montez threw for 170 yards on 26-of-47 pass attempts. Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. led the team in rushing (46) and receiving (72) yards with one touchdown on the ground. The lone loss has bounced Colorado from the AP Top 25 poll.

Previous Ranking: 1

Next up: at No. 15 Washington, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on FOX

3. Utah (4-2, 2-2 Pac-12)

Result: Beat Arizona 42-10 at home

Recap: Utah controlled the game from opening kickoff to the final whistle. They outscored Arizona 28-0 in the first half. Tyler Huntley had 201 passing yards to go with two touchdowns and rushing for 64 yards and another score, also caught a pass from wide receiver Britain Covey for a 58-yard touchdown. Running back Zack Moss carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards and one touchdown. Demari Simpkins led the wide receivers with 78 yards and a touchdown. The Utes have won their last two games.

Previous Ranking: 2

Next up: vs. USC, Saturday at 6 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks

4. Arizona State (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12)

Result: Bye week

Recap: The Sun Devils look to get reenergized from their bye week and get back into the win column. They have lost three of their last four games.

Previous Ranking: 4

Next up: vs. Stanford, Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN

5. Arizona (3-4, 2-2 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to Utah 42-10 on the road

Recap: The Wildcats used three quarterbacks, with Khalil Tate going out in the first quarter with an injury. Once they found a rhythm on offense with Rhett Rodriguez, the Utes were already up 35-0. Rodriguez finished with 226 yards and one touchdown. Running back J.J. Taylor was held to 63 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Previous Ranking: 5

Next up: at UCLA, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2

6. UCLA (1-5, 1-2 Pac-12)

Result: Beat California 37-7 on the road

Recap: Leading 20-7 after three quarters, the Bruins outscored Cal 17-0 in the fourth quarter on their way to their first win of the season. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 13 of his 15 pass attempts for 141 yards. Running back Joshua Kelley stole the show, rushing for 157 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns.

Previous Ranking: 6

Next up: vs. Arizona, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2