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Pac-12 Football Rankings – Week 8
Pac-12 football rankings heading into Week 8 of the 2016 season. Washington enjoyed a bye week while Stanford bounced back despite missing Christian McCaffrey.
October 16, 2016
Pac-12 football rankings heading into Week 8 of the 2016 season. Washington enjoyed a bye week while Stanford bounced back despite missing Christian McCaffrey.
A week of rest for the Pac-12’s top team could make it even more dangerous. Undefeated Washington got some time off and watched as the rest of the conference did nothing to prove that it has any real threats.
Stanford is dealing with an injured Christian McCaffrey. Utah struggled against an Oregon State team that gets to see how good the Huskies are next week, and USC is as inconsistent as they come.
Here’s a look at the rest of the Pac-12 heading into Week 8.
Week 8 Pac-12 Football Rankings
12. Arizona (Last Week – 11)
What a disappointing season it’s been for Rich Rodriguez’s team with all of its injuries. The Wildcats have lost four in a row and hit a low point with Saturday’s 48-14 loss to USC at home. They’ll get a bye week to prepare for Stanford.
11. Oregon State (12)
The Beavers hung tough with Utah before falling, 19-14. Three of their losses have come by seven points or fewer, but there are no moral victories for a team that’s 2-4.
10. California (10)
The Golden Bears had a bye after last week’s overtime loss to Oregon State. They’ve alternated wins and losses all season, and the trend says they’re due for a victory next week against a struggling Oregon team.
9. Oregon (9)
Coach Mark Helfrich spent the bye week having to listen to more talk about his job security. Then he had to deal with reports that some of his players don’t care about winning. The Ducks have lost four in a row and are in desperate need of a victory next week at Cal.
8. UCLA (8)
UCLA is one of college football’s biggest disappointments after starting the year ranked No. 16. The Bruins fell to 3-4 with Saturday’s 27-21 loss to Washington State and have dropped back-to-back games.
7. Arizona State (5)
The Sun Devils missed a chance to improve to 3-1 on conference play and were blown out by Colorado, 40-16. They have a big matchup waiting with red-hot Washington State next week.
6. Washington State (7)
Mike Leach’s Cougars are on a roll. They’ve won four straight after beating UCLA and sit at 3-0 in the Pac-12, including a dominating win over Stanford two weeks ago. Next week could be a shootout when they visit Arizona State.
5. Colorado (6)
The Buffaloes lost their spot in the AP Top 25 last week when they lost to USC. They bounced back in a big way against Arizona State and will need a similar effort when they travel to face Stanford next week.
4. USC (4)
Where was this Trojans team at the start of the season? USC has won three in a row and is on the right side of the .500 mark after crushing Arizona. Now, it gets to enjoy a bye week.
3. Stanford (3)
Christian McCaffrey’s injury remains a mystery, but Stanford survived Saturday without him and beat Notre Dame, 17-10. A tougher opponent awaits next week as Colorado comes to town, and McCaffrey’s presence might be necessary for the Cardinal to pull out a win.
2. Utah (2)
It wasn’t pretty, but the Utes got by Oregon State to win a second straight game. They’re facing a desperate UCLA team in the Rose Bowl next week and can’t afford another lackluster performance.
1. Washington (1)
The Pac-12’s best team got a break this week. The Huskies are the conference’s best (only?) hope for making the College Football Playoff, and they’ll continue their run toward accomplishing that goal when they host Oregon State next week.
