BYU takes the top spot after the Ducks falter in Salt Lake City
Photo: AP Photo/Paul Abell
Article by WestCoastCFB
1. BYU
BYU vaults to first place after the Utes stomp Oregon in Salt Lake City. The Cougars now possess a win over the favorite to win the Pac-12 Championship. Kalani Sitake gets one more chance to beat a Pac-12 team this weekend when his team travels to LA to face USC.
2. Utah
The Utes proved who the Top Dog is in the Pac-12 with a 38-7 win over Oregon. It was remarkable how easy Utah made it look and it would be tough for anyone in the country to defeat Kyle Whittingham's squad at the level they're currently playing. Have to imagine that most fans in Salt Lake City would love a rematch with the team from Provo.
3. Oregon
The Ducks seemed overrated all season but they kept scraping out wins. That wasn't the case this week. Utah proved Oregon was hardly worthy of their Top 5 ranking and now the Ducks would be lucky to just reach the Pac-12 Championship with a tough game looming against the Beavers.
4. San Diego State
San Diego State actually features a win over Utah and they have a claim to be 1st or 2nd on this list but the Aztecs don't win style points and that drops them here. Last weekend against UNLV, SDSU won just 28-20.
5. WSU
The Cougs boast wins over Arizona State and Oregon State which secures them the 5th spot on the list. WSU needs just a win over UW and an OSU win over Oregon to reach the Pac-12 Championship. What a season.
6. Oregon State
The Beavers continue to get it done and shocked many with their victory over the talented Arizona State Sun Devils. Jonathan Smith has Oregon State on the verge of a Pac-12 Championship appearance if they can beat the Ducks combined with a Husky win over WSU.
7. Arizona State
The Sun Devils are a talented team but have way too many unforced errors every game. On the bright side, ASU should get their 8th win of the year this weekend against the lowly Arizona Wildcats.
8. UCLA
Chip Kelly made a statement against USC by dropping 62 points. With that performance, you have to imagine Kelly is back in 2022. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is likely the favorite for 1st Team All-Pac-12 QB and his development as a player has been fun to watch.
9. Fresno State
Kalen DeBoer is a hot commodity and has been mentioned for both the WSU and UW jobs. His final game of the regular season comes against San Jose State on Thanksgiving and a loss would dampen his likelihood of moving to the P5 level after this year.
10. Air Force
Air Force is a tough out every year with Troy Calhoun at the helm and the Falcons are currently the favorites to reach the Mountain West Championship where they would likely take on San Diego State. ESPN's FPI gives Air Force a 61% chance of winning their division and a 22.5% chance of winning the Conference.
11. Boise State
Boise State is surging in the final weeks of the season going 5-1 in their past 6 games. The Broncos have a chance to prove they should be considered the top team in the Mountain West if they can defeat San Diego State this weekend. Unfortunately, the Broncos are a long shot to reach the conference championship with just a 7.8% chance of winning their division according to ESPN's FPI.
12. Nevada
Nevada has done well this season against the weaker teams in the Mountain West but have fallen to Fresno State, Air Force and San Diego State. Jay Norvell continues to get mentioned for the WSU job due to his consistent ability to win 7-8 games every year but it would have been nice to see him do more this season with a quarterback like Carson Strong who may go in the 1st Round of the NFL Draft.