1. Oregon (5-0, 2-0) — Quarterback Marcus Mariota accounted for seven (!) touchdowns in a blowout of Colorado, keeping his interception-less streak alive at 202 straight attempts. Neither De’Anthony Thomas’ ankle injuryy (already out of a boot) nor Colt Lyerla’s departure should do much to slow down the Ducks, who already look like a championship-caliber team.

2. Stanford (5-0, 3-0) — Ty Montgomery’s 290 all-purpose yards helped the Cardinal eke out a 31-28 win against Washington, stretching their win streak since last season to 13. Stanford’s defense came up with a key stop up 10 points, with Trent Murphy tipping a first-and-goal pass to cause an interception.

3. UCLA (4-0, 1-0) — The Bruins survived a tough game in Salt Lake City, but lost left tackle Torian White for the season. UCLA’s surprising offensive line has keyed much of its success this season, and freshmen Alex Redmond and Caleb Benenoch must grow up quickly to prevent any drop-off. Continue reading “Pac-12 Power Rankings — 10/8/13” »

1. Oregon (4-0, 1-0) — De’Anthony Thomas’ status is unclear after he injured his ankle on Saturday and reappeared on crutches. Sophomore Byron Marshall carried the ball 19 times in his stead, racking up 130 yards and two touchdowns.

2. Stanford (4-0, 2-0) — Don’t look now, but Kevin Hogan is currently the Pac-12’s most efficient quarterback (174.58). The Cardinal also might have found a new target in junior Devon Cajuste, who caught two touchdowns, bringing his career total to three.

3. UCLA (3-0) — The Bruins still look like the consensus third-best Pac-12 team after the bye week, but Utah is a tough place to play. Forecasts predict a 50 percent chance of rain on Thursday. Continue reading “Pac-12 Power Rankings — 9/30/13” »

1. Oregon (3-0) — The Ducks are second in the country in scoring offense and fifth in scoring defense. No other Pac-12 team ranks top-10 in both, and only Arizona (15th and third) is in the top 30.

2. Stanford (3-0, 1-0) — The Cardinal rolled over Arizona State, running up a 39-7 lead after three quarters. A year in minor-league baseball hasn’t affected tailback Tyler Gaffney, who has shined immediately in his return to The Farm with five rushing touchdowns, good for third in the Pac-12.

3. UCLA (3-0) — Jordon James is fourth in the country with 141.3 rushing yards per game, a total that even surprised head coach Jim Mora. UCLA has established one of the most potent offenses in college football; now it needs to handle business against Utah and Cal to preserve a likely matchup of undefeated teams at Stanford. Continue reading “Pac-12 Power Rankings — 9/23/13” »

1. Oregon (2-0) — The Ducks annihilated Virginia 59-10, extending their streak in non-neutral away sites to 16 wins. Alabama and Northern Illinois share the next-longest mark at nine games. Oregon gave up some plays underneath the coverage, but still looks like the BCS contender everyone expected preseason.

2. Stanford (1-0) — The Cardinal’s rushing game hasn’t lost a step, as Tyler Gaffney returned from his minor-league baseball stint with 104 yards and two scores. A 34-13 win over San Jose State bumped David Shaw’s perfect in-state record to 10-0.

3. Washington (1-0) — Both the Huskies and the Bruins were off this week, but Washington’s win over Boise State was more impressive than the UCLA’s over Nevada. In four seasons under Steve Sarkisian, the Husky defense has finished in the top half of the conference just once. It held the Broncos to their first touchdown-less game since 1997.

4. UCLA (1-0) — Nick Pasquale’s death Sunday night rocked the program during the bye weekend, and players have dedicated the rest of the season to him. Head coach Jim Mora is insulating his team until Saturday’s game at Nebraska, closing off practices and player interviews to the media. Continue reading “Pac-12 Power Rankings — 9/9/13” »