Ranking the Best Pac-12 Football Matchups of Week 6
Divisional play dominates this week's slate of Pac-12 Conference games, as all six matchups pit teams from the same division against each other.
The North Division is home to two of the three remaining teams without a conference loss, and both are on the road this Saturday as is lone South unbeaten Colorado. All three face tough assignments, making it very possible that the division races could tighten up by the time we're through.
We've ranked all six games based on the quality of the matchup and the likelihood you'd want to watch. Check out our rankings and then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
6. California (3-2, 1-1) at Oregon State (1-3, 0-1)
1 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 8; 9 p.m. ET
California's defense has been knocked most of this season for its inability to make stops, allowing 42.5 points per game during a 2-2 start. Then the Golden Bears stopped Utah at the goal line in the final minute of a 28-23 win.
To keep that momentum going, Cal must avoid being the team that Oregon State ends its long conference losing streak against. The Beavers have lost 12 consecutive Pac-12 games dating back to November 2014, with 11 of those decided by 10 or more points.
Cal quarterback Davis Webb leads FBS in passing yards (2,143) and touchdowns (22), while receiver Chad Hansen's eight TD catches are tied for the national lead.
5. Arizona (2-3, 0-2) at No. 24 Utah (4-1, 1-1)
2 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 8; 10 p.m. ET
Injuries are a part of the game, but Arizona and Utah are taking this concept to the extreme with the amount of starters they've lost this season. This could lead to a sloppy game featuring plenty of unproven players or an opportunity for some new faces to emerge.
Arizona burned the redshirt on true freshman quarterback Khalil Tate in last week's loss at UCLA, and he may start if neither junior Anu Solomon or sophomore Brandon Dawkins can go. The Wildcats have also seen their top two running backs go down with injuries along with several other players.
Utah has to go the rest of the year without senior center J.J. Dielman, done with a leg injury suffered in Saturday's loss at California. Also hurt in that game were receivers Tim Patrick and Kyle Fulks and cornerback Reggie Porter.
Arizona has won four straight against Utah, including in double overtime in Tucson last season.
4. No. 5 Washington (5-0, 2-0) at Oregon (3-2, 0-2)
3 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 8; 7:30 p.m. ET
Some significant head-to-head losing streaks have ended in college football this season, such as Tennessee's against Florida and Clemson's at Georgia Tech. That bodes well for Washington to finally end its skid against Oregon.
The Ducks have won the last 12 meetings, the longest active streak between Pac-12 schools. Most of those years saw Oregon ranked while Washington wasn't, but this time around it's the Huskies that are riding high—in the Top Five for the first time since 2003—while Oregon is 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 1996.
Potentially aiding Washington's chances are reports that Oregon is set to start true freshman Justin Herbert at quarterback. The Huskies are tied for the national lead with 21 sacks, including eight last week against Stanford.
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3. Washington State (2-2, 1-0) at No. 15 Stanford (3-1, 2-1)
4 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 8; 10:30 p.m. ET
Stanford fell hard from the ranks of the unbeatens last Friday, losing 44-6 at Washington in a game that was never really that close. The Cardinal offense could do nothing as Christian McCaffrey had 79 yards from scrimmage, his fewest since the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl, while the offensive line yielded eight sacks.
The Cardinal won't have to worry about the same level of defensive pressure from Washington State, but concerns about dealing with the Cougars' offensive potency are valid. WSU ranks seventh in total offense, at 548.8 yards per game, with quarterback Luke Falk averaging 373.8 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and a 74.3 percent completion rate.
Stanford last lost consecutive games in November 2014, first a blowout on the road and then in overtime at home. WSU has lost eight straight to the Cardinal.
2. UCLA (3-2, 1-1) at Arizona State (4-1, 1-1)
5 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 8; 10:30 p.m. ET
Home-field advantage has meant nothing when these teams have met under their current head coaches. Arizona State's Todd Graham and UCLA's Jim Mora were both hired in 2012, and since then the visiting team has claimed all four meetings.
That's not unique for UCLA during the Mora era, as the Bruins are 11-9 in Pac-12 home games and 13-5 on the road. ASU is 14-5 against the Pac-12 at Sun Devil Stadium under Graham, with two of those losses coming to UCLA including an embarrassing 62-27 setback in 2014.
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is coming off his best game of 2016, throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-24 win over Arizona. Now he gets to face the worst pass defense in the country, as ASU allows 396.4 yards per game including 366 last week in a 41-20 loss at USC.
1. No. 21 Colorado (4-1, 2-0) at USC (2-3, 1-2)
6 of 6
When: Saturday, Oct. 8; 4 p.m. ET
Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011 and since then has won only seven league games, never more than two in one season. The Buffaloes are all but assured of having their best season yet in the league thanks to a strong start that's been paced by a backup quarterback.
Redshirt freshman Steven Montez has started the last two games for the injured Sefo Liufau, throwing for 626 yards and six touchdowns in wins at Oregon and over Oregon State. Those numbers are similar to what USC redshirt freshman Sam Darnold has put up (585 yards, three TDs) in the two games he's started since replacing Max Browne, with the Trojans splitting his starts.
Colorado has never beaten USC before, 0-10 all-time with its five Pac-12 losses by a combined 118 points. The Buffs' two visits to Los Angeles in that stretch resulted in losses by 44 and 28 points, respectively.
All recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com, unless otherwise noted. All statistics provided by CFBStats, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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