Oregon Ducks

Pac-12 North: Stanford, Cal look to take control of division

Published Sep. 29, 2015 1:27 p.m. ET

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The race for the Pac-12 North crown is officially open for business. The rest of the division can thank Utah for opening the door.

Utah’s 62-20 dismantling of Oregon in Eugene should signal to the other five Pac-12 North teams that the Ducks’ domination of the division may be over. While teams like Washington State, Oregon State and Washington have issue, Stanford and Cal have to be thinking that their time is now.

After a season opening lost to Northwestern, Stanford quickly became a national afterthought. However, the Cardinal followed up that loss with three impressive victories over UCF, USC and Oregon State.

Not only has Stanford’s running game gotten back on track, but QB Kevin Hogan has also found his groove. In the first two conference game, Hogan has thrown for 442 yards and four touchdowns, while completing nearly 73 percent of his passes. Hogan has done all of this despite a sprained ankle he suffered against the Trojans.

Stanford’s defense has played well and will continue to get stronger as the season goes along, especially considering how injured the defensive line is. As long as Hogan maintains a high level and the Cardinal are able to effectively run the ball, they may be the most dangerous team on the West Coast.

Meanwhile, Stanford’s cross-bay rivals are making quite a name for themselves as well. Cal, led by QB Jared Goff, is 4-0 heading into this week’s game against Washington State. While the Cougars are not to be overlooked, the Bears have to have circled next week’s game at Utah.

If the Bears take care of Washington State, they will sport a 5-0 record heading into Rice-Eccles Stadium. This is where things get tricky for Cal. Their next four games after Washington State are at Utah, at UCLA, home to USC and at Oregon. If the Bears really want to be taken seriously within the conference and perhaps nationally, they’re going to have some chances to make a statement.

Cal’s 30-24 win at Washington was a great way to kick off conference play, especially considering the team had played in Austin against Texas the week before. Those two wins should show other teams that Cal is to be taken seriously. Jared Goff is a fantastic quarterback and the defense, while it has its issues, is very good at creating turnovers.

Christian McCaffrey breaks out

Stanford’s top running back had the game of his life versus Oregon State on Friday night. McCaffrey rushed for 206 yards on 30 carries and gained 303 all-purpose yards in Stanford’s 42-24 win.

Stanford’s offensive line, which was widely criticized after its play against Northwestern, suddenly looks like one of the top units in the nation.

"With (Kevin) Hogan beat up a little bit, we knew we had to run the ball this game, so we prepared all week and the offensive line stepped up," McCaffrey said. "It's so fun to watch the big guys doing their job."

If Stanford is able to run the ball at will, it is likely the best team in the Pac-12 North. With a dangerous Arizona team coming into town, the Cardinal are going to need their run game to be in peak form on Saturday.

Where does Oregon go from here?

It’s only one loss, but it sure does feel like something bigger is brewing in Eugene right now.

Oregon’s 62-20 loss to Utah on Saturday represented the Ducks’ most lopsided loss since 2003 and its worst loss in Eugene since 1977. Moreover, the 62 points allowed were the most the team has allowed since 1985.

Oregon’s offense sputtered against Utah. The Ducks’ offense will be fine in the long run, especially when Vernon Adams Jr.’s broken right index finger heals. However, the same cannot be said for Oregon’s defense.

Defensively, the Ducks are a mess. The unit ranks No. 115 in pass defense, No. 78 in rush defense, No. 111 in total defense and, worst of all, No. 118 in scoring defense. In fact, the Ducks rank dead last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense by more than 10 points.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Ducks didn’t look like a national power. In fact, it looked like an also-ran. After the loss to Utah, head coach Mark Helfrich said that the Ducks are “not going to go away from what we do.” Well, that may work offensively, but the Ducks defense needs to start forcing turnovers again, and quickly.

Oregon travels to Colorado this week to play the Buffaloes. It’s a must-win game for the Ducks. Who would have uttered that sentence just last week?

Quick hits: Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum called the loss to Utah his “toughest day of work” … Washington and Oregon State have bye weeks … Oregon is only favored by eight points against Colorado … Oregon may be without wide receivers Byron Marshall and Charles Nelson against Colorado. Both left Oregon’s loss to Utah with injuries ... Cal defensive end Kyle Kragen was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Washington.

Jason Gold is a writer covering the Pac-12 for FOX Sports. Follow Jason on Twitter @TheSportsGuy33.

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