Pac 12 Football: Week 2 Power Rankings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Week two Pac-12 conference games had some unusual action. Both Stanford and Oregon State had a bye week, but the rest of the teams competed. Pac-12 once again showed their strength overall against out of conference non-ranked teams.

Washington State (0-2) and California (1-1) were the only teams that were the victims. However, there were close games and tough opponents. The Cougars lost to Boise State 31-28, and the Golden Bears were taken out by the San Diego State Aztecs, who improved their record (2-0) by beating New Hampshire 45-0.

On the positive side, the Pac-12 took care of business beating underwhelming teams. USC took out Utah State 45-7, Colorado continued the morning trend by dumping Idaho State 56-7. UCLA doubled-up UNLV 42-21, and in an explosive game, Arizona State was victorious against Texas Tech 68-55.

In a closer game that should have been Arizona beat Grambling State 31-21. The Tigers had a 21-3 lead going into half-time. Utah then finished off BYU in the closest game of the day. The Cougars tried to use the momentum against Arizona last week when they won on a last-second field goal. This time, they scored with just 0:18 seconds left in the game to make it a 20-19 game. They decided to go for the two-point conversion, but it failed.

Top 25 ranked games included:

I will be using my week one article Pac 12 Football: Week One Power Rankings as a springboard for my week one Power Rankings article.

Oregon State beavers

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Last week: ByeLast rank: 12th

Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Ryan Nall (34) runs for a first down in the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Oregon State Beavers were on their bye-week. They will play Idaho State which lost by 49 points to Colorado. The Beavers will play their first home game of the season on Saturday.

Washington State Cougars

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Last week: 31-28 L Boise StateLast rank: 11th

Oct 24, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Washington State Cougars wide receiver Gabe Marks (9) runs the ball for a touchdon during the first quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

On their first drive, Washington State was able to take the ball down inside the 23-yard line, but when Luke Falk threw an interception to Tyler Horton who was happy to oblige on an 85-yard pick-six to take a 7-0 lead over the Cougars.

Before Washington State knew it, they were down 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and then trailed 17-7 at halftime when Tyler Rausa connected on a 31-yard field goal. The third quarter was more Boise State. They had taken a 24-7 lead before Luke Falk ended the quarter with a touchdown pass to Tavares Martin for 50-yards.

In the fourth quarter, the tide started to turn after Jeremy McNichols ran it in from seven yards out and made the score 31-14. With 14:54 left, Luke Falk took control and drove the Cougars 75-yards for a touchdown to Jamal Morrow from 14-yards out. After the Broncos had given Washington State the ball back on an interception, Falk hit Gabe Marks 33-yards out to bring the score to 31-28.

Nine plays later Brett Rypien was picked off by Charleston White to give the ball right back to the Cougars. Unfortunately, they had to turn over on downs, and the clocked expired.

Boise State (2-0) will now go on to face Oregon State who is coming off a bye in Oregon and then at home the following week against Utah State.

Washington State (0-2) will face Idaho at home. The next week they get to rest as they will be on a bye and then remain in Washington when they face the #22 Oregon Ducks the following week.

California Golden Bears

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Last week: 45-40 L San Diego StateLast rank: 8th

Sep 5, 2015; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears running back Tre Watson (5) carries the ball against the Grambling State Tigers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Cal Bears couldn’t stop the run with a fleet or armored trucks and America’s top snipers. They have given up 582 yards on the ground which is 124th in the nation in rushing yards allowed. On the other hand, Cal quarterback QB Davis Webb threw for 522 yards on 5 TDs on 72 attempts.

Webb isn’t as good as his predecessor (Jared Goff), but he has been a standout for the offense. He leads the Pac-12 in both yards (963) and touchdowns (nine) and has completed 63 percent of his passes. Webb is second in the nation in both yards and touchdowns also second in yards per game.

Bears offense looks just as good overall as well. In the first two games, they are averaging 481.5 yards and Cal has also averaged 617 total yards this season. The Cal Bears can turn their season around if they can learn how to keep running backs looking like Marshall Faulk and breaking his records.

Donell Pumphrey is a solid runner and even though he is a San Diego Aztec-like Faulk, it doesn’t mean he should be able to run for 281-yards and scored three touchdowns. Next up for the Golden Bears will be the Texas Longhorns. Texas is fourth in the Big 12 and 56th in the nation in rushing offense. Another long day at the office it seems for this Cal team.

Arizona Wildcats

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Last week: 31-21 W Grambling StateLast rank: 10th

Sep 3, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Nick Wilson (28) celebrates a touchdown against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cougars won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Wildcats wanted to get back to .500 after losing their first game to BYU on the road at the last seconds of play (18-17). Now at home and playing an inferior team as the Grambling State Tigers are, gave them that chance. Especially looking at the Las Vegas line of being a 45 point favorite.

It wasn’t an easy victory. By the end of the first half, the Tigers had a 21-3 lead and facing their first ever loss to a school from the FCS. With Anu Solomon out with an injury and Grambling State quarterback, DeVante Kincade also hurt at the half the game changed in a large way. Kincade completed 15 of 19 passes for 193 yards and two scores before leaving with a leg injury with 2:38 to play in the second quarter.

The turnaround for Arizona must have started in the locker room. “At halftime, we just challenged them to see what they were made of a little bit,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said.

It also helped that Tigers backup signal-caller Trevon Cherry became a turnover machine. The sophomore ended up giving the ball up to Arizona four times. Three came by way of interception and one on a fumble.

The Wildcats were able to score on the first drive of the second half when Brandon Dawkins ran for a two-yard touchdown. Cherry then threw his first interception, but it was his second that Arizona converted for a touchdown to close the lead to 21-17.

Running back, Jestin Kelly would turn the ball over on a fumble on their next series. Arizona was able to capitalize on the mistake to take their first lead of the game 24-21. When the fourth quarter began, Cherry was sacked by Parker Zellers and fumbled. Four plays later Brandon Dawkins scored on a run for 21 yards. Arizona would go on to win 31-21.

Colorado Buffaloes

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Last week: 56-7 W Idaho StateLast rank: 9th

Sep 10, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre celebrates the win over the Idaho State Bengals at Folsom Field. The Buffaloes defeated the Bengals 56-7. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Buffaloes have scored 100 combined points in the past two games, which is more than they had in the past six games in 2015. Winning the first two games marks the second time the Buffaloes have accomplished this under head coach Mike MacIntyre (2013). Unfortunately, they got blown out their next three games and finished 4-8 on the season.

The Idaho State Bengals didn’t pose much of a threat to the Buffaloes. The had fallen behind 49-0 before the first half ended which prompted backups from Colorado to sweep up the last 30 minutes of the game.

Even though quarterback Quarterback Sefo Liufau didn’t play the whole contest, he was very efficient with 15-of-18 passing for 204 yards and two touchdowns for Colorado. He is completing 75 percent of his passes 38-for-51 and has not thrown an interception. He dominated the defense of Idaho State as he should.

His display is coming off last week’s performance against Colorado State in which Colorado won easily 44-7. He finished the game with 384 yards of offense to earn Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. Liufau has shown not only an accuracy of his passes but knows how to use his feet as well. He rushed for 66 yards against Colorado State and 54 yards and a score last week.

Colorado looks like a solid team. They are fast, confident, and efficient. Even though this team looks much better than the team three seasons ago, they still have a rough road ahead. Their next meeting will be against #4 Michigan on the road and #22 Oregon also on the road.

These next two weeks will be a proof of what they have been showing against the weaker opponents and go a long way in displaying their talent to potential recruits.

USC Trojans

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Last week: 45-7 W Utah StateLast rank: 7th

Sep 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans running back Justin Davis (22) carries the ball against the Utah State Aggies during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The USC Trojans dismantled the Utah State Aggies with a 45-7 victory, but it doesn’t mean much facing a much smaller school even though they did avoid starting 0-2 since 1997. What must be more important is if the USC Trojans have settled on their starting quarterback.

Max Browne started and tossed two touchdown passes, but backup Sam Darnold also had two TD throws against Utah State. Talented and future pro receiver Ju Ju Smith-Schuster had a breakthrough that he couldn’t find against #1 Alabama. Smith-Schuster finished with seven catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

On the season Browne has 37-of-59 passing for 283 yards and two touchdowns, he also has two interceptions as well. With Darnold, it’s a smaller sample size of 9/15 for 91 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions.

I am still waiting for sophomore Ronald Jones II to start putting on a show as he did as a freshman. He was limited in the active defense of Alabama, and even though he was hurt last week (ribs) he only rushed for eight yards on five carries.

USC will start their conference play next week against #7 Stanford. The Trojans will have a great chance to commence on a winning streak and display they are not as bad as they were against the Crimson Tide. They will follow up the next week against Utah (2-0) for another tough division foe.

Arizona State Sun Devils

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Last week: 68-55 W Texas TechLast rank: 6th

Sep 10, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Kalen Ballage (7) runs into the end zone to score a touchdown against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the fourth quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Sun Devils passing defense is just awful, and that’s just being kind. They have allowed 909 yards in the air in just two games, last in the NCAA of 132 teams. They are nearly 100 yards more than Hawaii, and they also have given up six touchdowns, tied for 113th. On the flip-side, their rushing defense is its blockade force.

Giving up just 64 yards per game which stand 12th in the nation. However, Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage is a pure baller. He finished off Texas Tech with eight touchdowns and had runs of 75, 7, 4, 2, 1, 1 and 1, plus a 39-yard reception. The eight scores also tied a NCAA record.

Ballage’s opportunities came on unique plays. Seven were direct-snap runs and another on a 39-yard, double-reverse flea flicker. This offense was missing against Northern Arizona in a game they nearly lost.

Quarterback Manny Wilkins showed off his passing and running skills against the Aztecs. He finished the day with 28-of-37 passing for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Wilkins also ran for 55-yards on ten carries. N’Keal Harry was Wilkins primary receiver, and he caught six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. The freshman has been an active part of this offense for the last two games.

Arizona State will now put their focus on UT-San Antonio for Friday night.

UCLA Bruins

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Last week: 42-21 W UNLVLast rank: 5th

September 10, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Soso Jamabo (9) runs the ball for a touchdown against the UNLV Rebels during the first half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA was quick out the gate, but stumbled, before pressing the gas on UNLV Rebels in a 42-21 victory. With just over three minutes left in the second quarter, the Bruins were up 28-7 before UNLV made a comeback at the end of the half and start of the third quarter with back-to-back touchdowns. UCLA then finished the game with two scores of their own.

Quarterback Josh Rosen doesn’t seem to be getting his groove as he did as a freshman. Against the Rebels, he could only manage one touchdown and 267 yards passing on 38 attempts and ran for one score. Last week he passed for 343 yards and one touchdown but threw three interceptions.

It’s been So So Jamabo being the standout. The sophomore had 90 yards and three touchdowns against UNLV on just 11 carries after putting up 91 yards on 23 carries while catching five passes. Right now, Jamabo is sixth in the Pac-12 in rushing.

Jamabo is a 6-foot-3, 220 pounds running back who knows how to use finesse as well. He has learned from watching Paul Perkins as a freshman. Head coach Jim Mora added his assessment “Soso is turning into a big-time back, I believe,” coach Mora said. “We have a lot of confidence in him, and he has a lot of confidence in himself. Our players respect his work ethic. It’s good to see. He is running with a lot of confidence.”

UCLA will face off against BYU before taking on #7 Stanford in two weeks.

Utah Utes

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Last week: 20-19 W BYULast rank: 4th

Sep 1, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Tim Patrick (12) catches a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

The Holy War between Utah and BYU went the way of the Utes in a one-point victory over the Cougars. BYU almost made the full comeback after being behind since the end of the second quarter when they scored a touchdown at the end of the fourth to make it a 20-19 game. BYU went for the two-point conversion to win the game but came up empty.

The biggest play for Utah could have been the first play of the contest. BYU quarterback Taysom Hill’s pass went to Utah linebacker and Pac-12 defensive player of the week Sunia Tauteoli who returned it for 41 yards and the touchdown. Tauteoli also added another interception and six tackles.

Utah’s next touchdown would come with just 0:17 seconds left in the half when quarterback Troy Williams connected with wide receiver Tim Patrick for 21 yards and the touchdown. Speaking of Utah and their offense, one must look at the turnover extravaganza.

Six turnovers occurred against BYU, but somehow the Cougars could only turn that and the rest of their offense into 19 points. Which is a tribute more to the fierce defense of Utah than the sputtering offense of BYU.

Utah is second in the Pac-12 in points allowed (9.8) and second in total defense allowing just 243 yards per game. The Utes have also only allowed one touchdown. While in the nation, they are 17th in total defense.

They will need to stop turning the ball over as the won’t be lucky enough to win such style games. They will see if they can bounce back when the Utes take on San Jose State this Saturday.

Washington Huskies

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Last week: 59-14 W IdahoLast rank: 3rd

Dec 26, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Chris Peterson reacts after a play in the game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Many thought that Josh Rosen was going to be the best sophomore quarterback in the Pac-12 and possibly the nation, but so far it has been Jake Browning. Browning threw for 294 yards and five touchdowns against Idaho and to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Browning has 581 yards and eight touchdowns this season while completing 74.5 percent of his passes through two games (41 of 55). In 2015, the quarterback had 16 passing touchdowns in 12 games. He has been doing what he should be against inferior teams, and that shouldn’t stop against Portland State this week.

“He’s done a real nice job,” head coach Chris Petersen said of Browning. “He’s completing a lot of passes. He’s keeping his eyes downfield. He’s buying time, all those things that good quarterbacks do.”

He has managed an 82 percent completion rate, with 10.5 yards per attempt against both Rutgers and Idaho. After that, he will begin his real test of goods when he faces Arizona and then #5 Stanford in the next two weeks.

As for the rest of the offense, running back Myles Gaskin has gotten off to a slow start as he has rushed for just 124 yards through two games after being considered one of the top backs in the country. John Ross has been the top receiver with Dante Pettis not too far behind.

In week one, John Ross posted five receptions for 90-yards and two touchdowns, while Pettis brought in two passes for 24-yards. Last week, Pettis 6-88-2 statistical line compared to Ross with his 7-67-2. Ross overall has caught 12 passes for 154 yards and four touchdowns.

Oregon Ducks

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Last week: 44-26 W VirginiaLast rank: 2nd

EUGENE, OR – SEPTEMBER 10: Royce Freeman

Two weeks ago the Oregon Ducks did not appear close to the team they were in 2015. They struggled to put UC Davis in the rearview for most of the game. The combination of Royce Freeman, Darren Carrington II, and Dakota Prukop made the difference in the 53-28 victory.

Last week. Oregon learned and dispatched Virginia before the end of the first half. A 30-6 lead at the break was more than enough to lead the Ducks to victory, but they added another 14 points in the third quarter to seal and win 44-26.

This time, the trio was again too much to handle. Prukop threw for 331 yards on 21-of-31 attempts for three touchdowns, and Royce Freeman ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns while catching two passes. Wide receiver Carrington II had a smaller role as he caught four passes for 59 yards.

Freeman has been the star of this group in both games. He now has 294 yards on 32 attempts (9.2 ypc) and four touchdowns. He also has four receptions for 34 yards. Let’s take a look at Freeman.

Freeman is not afraid to lower his shoulder when making contact. He is both patient and has the vision to see holes and cut through them. Very decisive and hardly gets tackled for a loss. He has good body control and can use his ability to cut and move away from tacklers. He is not a road grader but isn’t useless in short yardage or goal line situations. Can catch a pass, but needs work on his technique.

Oregon will now face Nebraska on the road then Colorado at home.

Stanford Cardinals

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Last week: ByeLast rank: 1st

September 2, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw (right) instructs quarterback Ryan Burns (17) against the Kansas State Wildcats during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals had a bye, but the schedule looks brutal in the next five weeks (vs. USC, at UCLA, at Washington, vs. Washington State and at Notre Dame). Stanford took USC out twice last season, let’s see if they can do it again.

If they can win out in this tough stretch of five games, then Stanford could very well be in the College Football Playoff conversation by the end of the season.