Marsh Power PAC Rankings - Week 4

[David Marsh]

Hi Everyone... as the forum was not relaunched until recently I have been holding this back. I find power rankings fun because it is looking at teams and trying to determine a pecking order. These are more gut feels than based around raw stats and is looking to try and rank the PAC based on how good these teams are, rather than purely based off record. Their records do count and do matter but teams aren't static and should evolve as the year goes on. Without further ado... 

 

Pac-12 Week 4 Power Rankings 

 

1. Oregon (4-0) (1-0) - Oregon still has the best win and even though they played by far their worst game of the year against Arizona they did emerge with a win by three scores. So for now they remain at No. 1. 

 

2. UCLA (3-1) (1-0) - UCLA is the only other ranked team in the Pac-12 at the moment in the AP Poll. Though rankings aside, this UCLA team got burned by Fresno State in Week 3 but has bounced back with a dominant win over Stanford. UCLA is full of veteran players and many are playing their best football. Even with all that this team has some real vulnerabilities. 

 

3. Oregon State (3-1) (1-0) - Yes, I am putting Oregon State in at No. 3. This Beaver team is stacked with veteran players, in large part helped by the covid-shirt. This team is hungry for their first bowl game since 2013 and they are playing like a team driven. Don't sleep on the Beavers, they are a seriously dangerous team and even more so because everyone has written them off for years. However, this is a team that is probably reaching its ceiling. 

 

4. Stanford (2-2) (1-1) - Stanford is a resilient team and David Shaw is coaching this team up as best he can. This team is going to be dangerous but what is abundantly clear is that this team is still a far cry from the Stanford teams that led the conference a decade ago and battled Oregon for the conference crown. Right now it looks like the conference pecking order between Stanford and OSU will come down to when these two teams meet and right now I'm not sure who would win. 

 

5. Arizona State (3-1) (1-0) - Arizona State is a bit difficult to judge because yes they are at 3 and 1 right now in their overall record. However, they have only played one generally considered good team in BYU and ASU embarrassed themselves in that defeat. Right now they are at No.5 but they are a distant No. 5 because they are still largely unproven and everyone beneath them feels much worse. 

 

6. Washington (2-2) (1-0) - Now there is a good argument that Washington is possibly a better team than ASU. However, Washington still lost to an FCS team and were blown out in Michigan. Even with all that said they seem to have a decent defense and an offense that might finally be figuring themselves out. So far in Pac-12 play they beat a wholly underwhelming Cal team. 

 

7. Utah (2-2) (1-0) - Utah isn't a good football team yet. However, by the end of the year they may just be a good football team. Right now this position is more built on Kyle Wittingham's reputation than current results from Utah as Utah's two wins are from two bad opponents. 

 

8. Cal (1-3) (0-1) - Cal has regressed big time. There was a thought that DeRuyter wasn't a big influence on Cal's defense, especially with Justin Wilcox as head coach. Well, after four games it has become quite clear that Cal really misses DeRuyter as a defensive coordinator. 

 

9. USC (2-2) (1-2) - USC is on auto-pilot this year. They fired Helton in game two, which was frankly rather poor decision. If they choose to fire him two games into the year it raises the question as to why they didn't fire him at the end of last year? Was something supposed to have magically changed over the summer and a different Helton and USC team was supposed to emerge? Well that didn't happen. USC might win a few more games, but making a bowl game is going to be a a climb and right now it is hard to imagine they are going to beat too many teams in the Pac-12. 

 

10. Colorado (1-3) (0-1) - Colorado looked good out the gate this year and looked like they could knock out at Texas A&M team team that was at the time ranked in the top ten in the country. Though what became abundantly clear in that game was the fact that Colorado doesn't have any offense. Their defense looks decent to good but their defense alone isn't going to win too many games for them. 

 

11. Arizona (0-4) (0-1) - It seems weird that I am putting the only win-less Pac-12 team in at No. 11 instead of dead last. They probably belong in last but this team feels like they are well coached but are completely lacking in the players they need to truly compete. However, they may have finally settled on a quarterback and if they can clean up the turnover margin slightly, 5 picks is way too many, this team has potential. Especially, considering a few of those interceptions against Oregon throws that didn't even have to happen. This team is going to steal a game or two this year and most importantly one of those games they might have a chance of winning is against No. 12. 

 

12. Washington State (1-3) (0-2) - Washington State doesn't look like they even know what they are doing at this time. They had a chance to put the heat on USC and USC put in a true freshman quarterback in their first start who just torched this defense. Washington State held a lead against Utah in a low scoring game and just imploded in the fourth quarter and Utah went on to win the game. Arizona looks like they are on the upswing where they are figuring out what it takes to win... but WSU hasn't improved and really isn't improving. If Arizona were to play WSU today, I think Arizona wins which is why I have Washington State ranked below Arizona.  

 

 

Thanks for reading... this sort of thing is fun for me. Please feel free to argue with my thoughts as that is also fun! I will post another one after Week 5. 

[30Duck]

I'm glad to see this, Power Rankings are fun, and just for fun, I'd have Oregon State #2.  The Beavers lost the first game at Purdue, who's gone on to be 3-1. The Bruins got LSU at home, and lost to Fresno State at home. Meanwhile Oregon State stomped USC in LA.

 

It was fun when UDud deserved to be No. 12, but the Cougars deserve it, maybe Arizona isn't all that bad? Generally Utah is better than they are showing, and Cal has started off fast and burned out in recent seasons. USC, famous for being famous, they are the Kardashian's of college football.

 

ASU? They can burn anybody any week, but right in the middle is where I see them too.

[Jon Joseph]

Great take + great YTD conference rankings.

 

However, and I certainly do not wish to diss the Ducks this weekend I'd have ASU above Stanford?

 

Stanford destroyed SC, but so did the Beavers. Stanford won at Vandy but it was a struggle. 

 

ASU shot itself in the foot in Provo. 4 false starts on what could have been the late game winning drive!

 

I think we learn a whole lot about the Bruins and the Sun Devils this weekend?

 

UCLA is -3.5. But I will not be surprised, especially if DTR is not 100%, if ASU wins this game?

 

Nationwide, whole lot of shakin' goin' on this weekend. 

 

My top 5 today all in:

 

1.Bama

2. UGA

3. Arkansas

4. Florida

5. Mississippi

 

2 of the above 5 have to take an L on Saturday.

 

I have the Ducks, off 1 big road win and 3 scuffles at 6. But because Clemson is ranked and Texas is not, the Ducks and not the Hogs, is the only team with 2 Ws vs the AP top 25.

 

Man, if SC doesn't win at CU Saturday, will anyone want the job?

 

 

[30Duck]

On 9/30/2021 at 4:50 PM, Jon Joseph said:

 

Man, if SC doesn't win at CU Saturday, will anyone want the job?

 

Nobody wanted it last time, Helton was the best they could get. 

[David Marsh]

On 9/30/2021 at 4:08 PM, 30Duck said:

maybe Arizona isn't all that bad?

 

I think Arizona is very bad right now... But I think they are trending in the right direction. The coaching staff there is doing well... I think it is just a bigger disaster than anyone realized. 

[Charles Fischer]

This is really well thought-out and done well.  Very fun, and my thanks.