Ranking the Best Pac-12 Football Matchups of Week 5
For the first time this season the entire Pac-12 is in action against each other, with league play in full swing as all 12 schools vie to win a division title and play for a conference championship.
All five of last week's conference games went down to the wire, and we can only hope the Week 5 slate is as competitive and entertaining. Each has its own value and impact on the Pac-12 race, but we've ranked them in order of how good the matchup is and how likely you'd be to watch.
6. Oregon State (1-2) at Colorado (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12)
1 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 1; 2:30 p.m. ET
Last year's Pac-12 division doormats have both looked better this season, though Colorado's improvement has been far more significant. The Buffaloes gave Michigan a test on the road two weeks ago, then they went to Oregon and upset the Ducks despite senior quarterback Sefo Liufau sitting out with an injury.
Backup Steven Montez threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, moving Colorado within a game of matching last year's win total.
Oregon State has shown growth on offense but is still searching for results in the win column. Its only victory came against FCS school Idaho State, leaving the Beavers with a 10-game skid against FBS schools and an 11-game Pac-12 losing streak.
5. Oregon (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) at Washington State (1-2)
2 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 1; 9:30 p.m. ET
When Oregon and Washington State meet in football, weird things can happen. Add in the game is being played in Pullman, and at night, and there's all the makings for a #Pac12AfterDark special.
Washington State upset the Ducks in Eugene last season behind 505 yards and five touchdowns on 40-of-52 passing from Luke Falk. In 2013, Cougars quarterback Connor Halliday set the FBS single-season record for attempts by throwing 89 times against Oregon, and the following October in a late-night home game Halliday set the FBS single-game passing record with 734 yards.
Oregon is very susceptible to having records set against its defense, which has allowed at least 26 points in every game and last week yielded 593 yards in a 41-38 home loss to Colorado.
4. Arizona (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) at UCLA (2-2, 0-1)
3 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 1; 10:30 p.m. ET
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez has won 35 games since getting hired in 2012, but in that time there have been two scenarios in which the Wildcats have struggled mightily: playing UCLA and playing on grass.
Both of those are in play this week for Arizona, which has lost four straight to the Bruins and is 2-11 under Rodriguez on a natural surface like what you'll find in the Rose Bowl. But UCLA's home turf has provided it little advantage under coach Jim Mora, who is 10-8 there in Pac-12 games including losses in three of the last five league home games.
An 0-2 start in the conference may all but eliminate either team from the South Division race.
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3. No. 18 Utah (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) at California (2-2, 0-1)
4 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 1; 6 p.m. ET
Utah used a 15-play, 93-yard drive to beat USC last Friday in the final seconds, moving to 4-0 for the second year in a row. Being able to match last season's 6-0 start will depend on whether the Utes can keep that magic going in the Bay Area.
California's offense can hang with anyone thanks to the potent passing attack led by quarterback Davis Webb and receiver Chad Hansen. Webb leads FBS with 1,837 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, while Hansen is tops in the country with 50 receptions. But the Golden Bears defense hasn't carried its weight, resulting in every one of their games featuring at least 82 points scored.
Utah is 25th in total defense and has allowed only two passing TDs all season.
2. Arizona State (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) at USC (1-3, 0-2)
5 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 1; 8:30 p.m. ET
The last time Arizona State played in the Los Angeles Coliseum, it pulled off a thrilling comeback that was capped by a final play ASU fans have come to know as the "Jael Mary." Jaelen Strong's 46-yard touchdown catch gave the Sun Devils a 38-34 win, and if they can get another win like that, it might mean being ranked for the first time since the 2015 preseason poll.
ASU scored 31 fourth-quarter points to beat California 51-41 last week for its first 4-0 start since 2007, moving in the complete opposite direction of USC. The Trojans, who fell at Utah last Friday on a TD in the final minute, are 1-3 for the first time since 2001.
USC's schedule has been among the toughest in the country, having already played defending national champion Alabama as well as ranked league opponents Stanford and Utah. Now it gets four of the next five games at home.
The passing game figures to be key in this one, with USC redshirt freshman Sam Darnold going up against FBS's worst pass defense.
1. No. 7 Stanford (3-0, 2-0 Pac-12) at No. 10 Washington (4-0, 1-0)
6 of 6
When: Friday, Sept. 30; 9 p.m. ET
The first playoff standings don't come out until Nov. 1, but as of now it looks like Stanford and Washington are the Pac-12's best hope of reaching the semifinals. That makes their showdown in Seattle the most important game in the league to date and possibly for the entire season.
Stanford has an early jump on the field by having already played (and won) two Pac-12 games, sweeping the Los Angeles schools. Last week's 22-13 win at UCLA saw the Cardinal score two touchdowns in the final 24 seconds after managing only six points before that.
Washington is coming off a 35-28 overtime win at Arizona, the first time it had been truly tested this season. It leaned heavily on a ground game that ran for 352 yards, most by the Huskies since September 2014 as Lavon Coleman and Myles Gaskin combined for 266 yards.
Stanford's Christian McCaffrey had 300 all-purpose yards against Washington last season. What will he manage this time around?
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports, unless otherwise noted. All statistics provided by CFBStats, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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