Pac-12 football power rankings, Week 5: Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies tied at No. 2

Oregon running back Bucky Irving (0) carries the ball past Washington State defensive back Jaden Hicks (25) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
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The Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies are tied for second place in this week’s Pac-12 football power rankings from The Oregonian/OregonLive, while the USC Trojans maintained their hold on the top spot.

Washington moved up two spots after beating Stanford 40-22 and the Ducks stayed at No. 2 after edging Washington State 44-41. The Trojans escaped Corvallis with a 17-14 victory against the Oregon State Beavers.

Utah checks in at No. 4, narrowly behind Oregon and Washington, with Oregon State fifth and Washington State sixth.

Despite being undefeated, the UCLA Bruins remain in the seventh spot in this week’s power rankings.

Here are this week’s power rankings from The Oregonian/OregonLive sports staff.

(Voting panel: James Crepea, Nick Daschel, Aaron Fentress, Joe Freeman, Sean Meagher, Joel Odom, Bill Oram)

1. NO. 6 USC TROJANS (4-0, 2-0)

Poll points: 78

Last week (1): Beat Oregon State 17-14. Caleb Williams’ run and push on fourth down, plus his touchdown pass to Jordan Addison with 1:13 left proved the difference for the Trojans.

This week: USC vs. Arizona State, 7:30 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on ESPN). The Trojans figure to cruise past the struggling Sun Devils.

T2. NO. 13 OREGON DUCKS (3-1, 1-0)

Poll points: 72

Last week (2): Beat Washington State 44-41. What a wild fourth quarter in Pullman. Bo Nix hit Troy Franklin for the go-ahead touchdown and then Mase Funa iced it for the Ducks with his pick-six.

This week: Oregon vs. Stanford, 8 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on FS1). The Ducks are favored by 17 points for this Pac-12 After Dark matchup at Autzen.

T2. NO. 15 WASHINGTON HUSKIES (4-0, 1-0)

Poll points: 72

Last week (4): Beat Stanford 40-22. The Huskies rolled, with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and running back Wayne Taulapapa leading the way.

This week: Washington at UCLA, 7:30 p.m. PT Friday (TV on ESPN). This matchup of 4-0 teams is the top game to watch in the Pac-12 this week. The Huskies are narrow favorites.

4. NO. 12 UTAH UTES (3-1, 1-0)

Poll points: 70

Last week (3): Beat Arizona State 34-13.

This week: Utah vs. Oregon State, 11 a.m. PT Saturday (TV on Pac-12 Networks).

5. OREGON STATE BEAVERS (3-1, 0-1)

Poll points: 55

Last week (5): Lost to USC 17-14. After for most of the game, the Beavers let this one get away late in the fourth quarter.

This week: Oregon at No. 12 Utah, 11 a.m. PT Saturday (TV on Pac-12 Networks). Can the Beavers beat the Utes for a second consecutive season?

6. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (3-1, 0-1)

Poll points: 49

Last week (6): Lost to Oregon 44-41. The Cougars led by 12 with 4 minutes to play, but then the Ducks quickly scored 22 consecutive points.

This week: Washington State vs. California, 2:30 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on Pac-12 Networks). The Cougars haven’t lost to Cal in Pullman since a 60-59 shootout in 2014.

7. UCLA BRUINS (4-0, 1-0)

Poll points: 45

Last week (7): Beat Colorado 45-17. Zach Charbonnet

This week: UCLA vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m. PT Friday (TV on ESPN).

8. CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (3-1, 1-0)

Poll points: 34

Last week (10): Beat Arizona 49-31. Jaydn Ott ran for 274 yards and three touchdowns, and the Golden Bears pulled away with 21 consecutive points in the second half.

This week: California at Washington State, 2:30 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on Pac-12 Networks). The Bears are four-point underdogs, but with two good defenses, this matchup could be a tossup.

9. STANFORD CARDINAL (1-2, 0-2)

Poll points: 26

Last week (8): Lost to Washington 40-22. Lake Oswego’s Casey Filkins ran for 100 yards against the Huskies and is the Cardinal’s starter at running back now that E.J. Smith is injured.

This week: Stanford at Oregon, 8 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on FS1). The Cardinal have lost eight conference games in a row. But their last win came a year ago against Oregon.

10. ARIZONA WILDCATS (2-2, 0-1)

Poll points: 24

Last week (9): Lost to California 49-31. Jayden de Laura passed for 401 yards and two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions.

This week: Arizona vs. Colorado, 6:30 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on Pac-12 Networks). The Wildcats will look to avenge a 34-0 loss to the Buffaloes last year in Boulder.

11. ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (1-3, 0-1)

Poll points: 14

Last week (11): Lost to Utah 34-13. The Sun Devils rushed for a paltry six yards against the Utes.

This week: Arizona State at No. 6 USC, 7:30 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on ESPN). It could be a long night for the Sun Devils if they again struggle to establish their running game.

12. COLORADO BUFFALOES (0-4, 0-1)

Poll points: 7

Last week (12): Lost to UCLA 45-17. The Buffaloes’ four losses this season have been by 25, 31, 42 and 28 points.

This week: Colorado at Arizona, 6:30 p.m. PT Saturday (TV on Pac-12 Networks). The good news is, the Wildcats are favored by only 17.5 points this week.

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