College Football Rankings: Pac-10 Wide Receivers, Week 6

The script for wide receivers in the Pac-10 this past weekend read eerily like The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

There was certainly plenty of good, with breakout performances by USC's Robert Woods and OSU's Markus Wheaton, among others.

The bad wasn't so bad, though the likes of Cal's Marvin Jones didn't exactly inspire on the field.

And Oregon State's James Rodgers' ugly knee injury will keep him off the field for the rest of the season, depriving Beavers fans as well as lovers of college football of the excitement that the elder Rodgers brother brings on a weekly basis.

Overall, this week's rankings look almost nothing like the last, from top to bottom.

10. Marvin Jones, Cal

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BERKELEY, CA - OCTOBER 09: Marvin Jones #1 of the California Golden Bears runs for a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins at California Memorial Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Marvin Jones didn't exactly justify his place in the rankings with his performance against UCLA.

After having a week off, Jones came up with only one catch for nine yards in the Golden Bears' 35-7 blowout of the Bruins at Memorial Stadium.

If it weren't for Jones' 48-yard rushing touchdown, he'd be off this list after spending most of the season in the upper echelon.

Last week's ranking: fifth

9. Doug Baldwin, Stanford

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PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Doug Baldwin #89 of the Stanford Cardinal in action during their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Stanford Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

After taking a week off from the rankings, Doug Baldwin finds himself back in the top-10 mix.

Baldwin came up big in Stanford's two-point win against USC, accounting for two touchdowns and 98 yards on eight catches.

Thanks in large part to Baldwin, Stanford is still in the hunt for the Pac-10 title.

Last week's ranking: not ranked

8. James Rodgers, Oregon State

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Wide receiver James Rodgers #8 of the Oregon State Beavers lays injured on the field during the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Beavers defeated the

Few things are certain in the world of college football.

One of those certainties: this will be James Rodgers' last appearance in the power rankings this season.

Rodgers went down with a torn ligament in his left knee in the second quarter of the Beavers' huge 29-27 win at Arizona on Saturday.

Which makes Rodgers' line that much more impressive: seven catches, 102 yards, and a touchdown.

As Oregon State coach Mike Riley said about Rodgers, a team captain, after the game, "He's the heart and soul of the team."

Rodgers will certainly be missed, by both Beaver Nation and the power rankings.

Last week's ranking: not ranked

7. Markus Wheaton, Oregon State

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Wide receiver Markus Wheaton #2 of the Oregon State Beavers warms up before the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The Beavers defeated the Wildcats 29-27.

If the 24th-ranked Beavers are to be successful in Rodgers' absence, they'll need someone to step up and fill the void he left behind.

Enter Markus Wheaton.

With Rodgers out for most of the game against Arizona, Wheaton took over as quarterback Ryan Katz's number-one option, pulling down seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

If the Beavers manage to keep winning, expect to see Wheaton work his way up the rankings.

Last week's ranking: not ranked

6. Jared Karstetter, Washington State

Wazzu is having another rough season, but Jared Karstetter is doing just fine.

So Washington State lost to now-second-ranked Oregon by a hefty margin.

In other news, the sky is still blue.

And Jared Karstetter is still performing well outside of the spotlight.

Karstetter kept his roll going in Pullman against the Ducks with 10 catches for 106 yards.

Assuming he keeps playing this way, Karstetter may well make his way up the rankings even if the Cougars don't win another game this season.

Last week's ranking: seventh

5. Ronald Johnson, USC

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PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 09: Ronald Johnson #83 of the USC Trojans loses control of the ball when he is hit by Delano Howell #26 of the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

It was only a matter of time before Ronald Johnson took a step down the ladder of wide receivers in the Pac-10.

Not because he's not an elite receiver, but rather because he has some supremely talented teammates who have been primed to siphen off his stats.

Johnson was certainly solid for Lane Kiffin's Trojans, hauling in six tosses for 61 yards in USC's heartbreaking 37-35 loss at Stanford.

However, he was overshadowed (big-time) by a certain freshman teammate, who will appear on this list in a bit.

And judging by the extent to which RoJo was overshadowed, his numbers might see a significant dip from here on out.

Last week's ranking: second

4. Jermaine Kearse, Washington

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 11: Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse #15 of the Washington Huskies rushes against the Syracuse Orange on September 11, 2010 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Jermaine Kearse put in a solid performance for coach Steve Sarkisian in Washington's 24-14 loss against Arizona State.

However, he'll have to do more than six catches and 47 yards to stay in the top half of the power rankings.

It would certainly help Kearse if Jake Locker played closer to his capabilities.

Last week's ranking: first

3. Robert Woods, USC

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PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 09: Robert Woods #13 of the USC Trojans runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

If the rankings did not have to incorporate the full season's body of work for each player, Robert Woods would undoubtedly be number one with a bullet.

The freshman from Gardena had himself a game for the ages in the Trojans' tough loss in Palo Alto, coming up with 12 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns.

The sky is the limit for Woods, so a future spot at the top is a strong possibility for him.

Last week's ranking: not ranked

2. Jeff Maehl, Oregon

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EUGENE,OR - DECEMBER 03: Wide receiver Jeff Maehl #23 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball after a catch against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium on December 3, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

Darron Thomas or no, Jeff Maehl kept up his steady pace for the Oregon Ducks.

With Thomas out due to a shoulder injury, Maehl played safety blanket for senior quarterback Nate Costa, racking up 119 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches.

Maehl's delivery has been huge in Oregon rise to the number-two spot in the polls.

As such, he finds himself at number two in this week's rankings.

Last week's ranking: fourth

1. Juron Criner, Arizona

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Wide receiver Juron Criner #82 of the Arizona Wildcats attempts to catch a pass during the fourth quarter of the college football game against the Oregon State Beavers at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. The

After several weeks of ascending through the rankings, Juron Criner has finally reached the summit.

Despite Arizona coming up with a loss at home against Oregon State, Criner had an excellent game, compiling 179 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches.

Of course, getting to the top is one thing. Staying on top is a whole different animal.

A Wildcat? Only time will tell.

Last Week's ranking: third