Pac-12 Power Rankings Heading Into Week 3
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Week 2 brought plenty of movement across the Pac-12. Oregon State made the biggest jump, Washington State took a significant tumble and Boise State continued to strengthen its case as the conference’s top team.
With Week 3 approaching, here are my updated Pac-12 power rankings.
1. Boise State (#1 Last Week)
In one of the matchups with the biggest College Football Playoff implications this week, Boise State came out on top, beating Memphis 38-20. The win put the Broncos in prime early position for a CFP spot, although we are only in Week 2, so there is still a lot of football left to be played.
Boise State will have two more good tests in its nonconference schedule, playing one of the better FCS programs in South Dakota before a road game against Western Michigan to wrap up the nonconference slate. The Broncos will need to go 2-0 over the next two weeks to maintain their prime CFP positioning.
2. Oregon State (#5 Last Week)
The preseason No. 8 team jumps all the way to No. 2 in this week’s power rankings. Oregon State has looked really good against two top-25 teams to start the season. The duo of quarterback Braden Atkinson and true freshman receiver Jesse Legree, who had 240 receiving yards against Texas Tech, is one of the best offensive duos in the country to start the season.
Heading into Week 3, Oregon State faces one of the better FCS opponents in Montana. If Oregon State can take care of business against the Grizzlies this week and UTEP next week, it would provide a lot of confidence that this Oregon State team can make some serious noise in the Pac-12.
3. San Diego State (#2 Last Week)
After a 28-10 loss to UCLA in Week 2, SDSU drops to the No. 3 spot this week. The Aztecs hit a field goal with 13:11 left in the fourth quarter to make it a 7-3 game but could not pull off the upset, allowing three touchdowns over the final eight minutes of the loss. Questions still remain on the offensive side of the ball, where quarterback Jayden Denegal went just 6-for-17 and threw for only 45 yards.
In Week 3, SDSU faces a 2-0 James Madison team that is coming off an 87-3 win against Wagner last week. JMU made the College Football Playoff last year, although that was with a completely different team and coaching staff. This should be another good test for an SDSU team hoping to compete for a Pac-12 championship this season.
4. Colorado State (#4 Last Week)
The Rams have started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2011 and have had a great start to the Jim Mora era in Fort Collins. Colorado State stays at No. 4 this week, as I would like to see how they perform against higher-level competition before moving them higher.
CSU will get that chance this week as it hosts No. 11 BYU. I will be watching to see if quarterback Hauss Hejny can carry over his strong performance from the first two weeks in this top 15 matchup with Colorado State.
If the Rams can put together a strong performance against BYU this week, I will come away thinking the Rams have a real chance to win the Pac-12 this season.
5. Fresno State (#6 Last Week)
An impressive 49-3 win against in-state foe Sacramento State moves Fresno State into the No. 5 spot this week. The Bulldogs had an all-around impressive performance, and quarterback Jayden Mandal looked a lot more comfortable than he did in Week 1 against USC.
Fresno State travels to San Jose to face an SJSU team that has started the season 1-2 and also has a loss to USC. I will be watching the offense and quarterback play again this week for the Bulldogs.
If the offense is able to turn in another good performance this week, it will provide some confidence that the Bulldogs could be a real threat in the Pac-12 this season.
6. Washington State (#3 Last Week)
A three-spot drop feels appropriate for a WSU team that has scored one offensive touchdown in two weeks of play. The Cougars are coming off a 34-7 loss to Kansas State in Week 2.
While WSU has started 0-2, it has had one of the tougher nonconference schedules in the Pac-12. The offense will need to get back on track if the Cougars want to make a bowl game this year.
The WSU offense will look to get back on track against FCS opponent Duquesne, which has given up a combined 104 points through the first two weeks of the season. If the WSU offense struggles again this week, there will be some true panic in Pullman.
7. Utah State (#8 Last Week)
Utah State gets out of the No. 8 spot this week after a hard-fought 16-14 loss on the road against Washington. While Washington might not be as good as previously thought in the preseason, taking a Big Ten team to the wire on the road is a good step forward for a program coming off a Week 1 FCS loss.
It does not get any easier for the Aggies, as they take on No. 17 Utah on the road this week. If Utah State can turn in another solid performance on the road, I will continue to feel good about the direction it is heading.
8. Texas State (#7 Last Week)
Texas State falls to the bottom spot after a 31-26 home loss to rival UTSA. The Bobcats were up 30-26 in the final minute but allowed a 25-yard rushing touchdown with 14 seconds left.
Coming into the season, there were concerns about the Texas State defense, and through two games, it has allowed 59 points in the first game and 31 points in the second game. The defense will need to improve if Texas State wants to win Pac-12 conference games this season.
The Bobcats will host North Texas this week. North Texas is 1-1 and is coming off a massive 44-6 win against UNLV last week. I will be watching to see if the Texas State defense improves from the first two weeks.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos