2022 Week 13 Pac-12 Football Power Rankings

USC is the league’s lone remaining Playoff hope after the Trojans toppled UCLA in Pasadena

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Posted on November 22, 2022


  By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports

The Conference of Champions’ Playoff hopes were crystallized last weekend. USC is the league’s lone remaining hope after the Trojans toppled UCLA in Pasadena.

Oregon was de facto eliminated earlier in the year, but the Ducks’ victory over Utah was noteworthy in Dan Lanning’s first season.

The weekend’s results sent our writers and broadcasters back together to produce a new power ranking.

The list below is a composite of each voter’s picks, while the table at the bottom displays the individual rankings.

1. USC (10-1, 8-1) ◄►

The Trojans’ path to the Playoff is set: win out and USC is in.

A soft schedule has benefited Lincoln Riley’s team, yet the year will likely end with three-straight games against ranked opponents.

With a brand that carries weight among the Committee members, SC controls its own destiny.

2. Oregon (9-2, 7-1) ▲1

Bo Nix played through injury and the Ducks overcame a poor coaching decision to start the second half.

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12 But a win over Utah will be taken no matter the circumstances.

The Playoff is probably out of reach for the Ducks, yet the Rose Bowl remains in play.

To get there, Oregon must make it through one of the top teams Oregon State has fielded in recent memory.

3. Utah (8-3, 6-2) ▼1

Cam Rising is clearly not 100 percent and it arguably cost the Utes the game.

Without the mobility that is the quarterback’s hallmark, the Utah offense was drastically less effective.

Nonetheless, matched up against an injured Bo Nix, Kyle Whittingham’s team should have gotten the job done.

4. Washington (9-2, 6-2) ▲1

Sitting at 6-2 in conference play, Washington remains in the mix for the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Washington football pac-12 The Apple Cup is the first hurdle to overcome, though, and Jake Dickert’s defense is formidable.

A win in Pullman would secure a 10-win season and substantially improve Washington’s bowl options.

5. UCLA (8-3, 5-3) ▼1

Despite the loss to USC, Dorian Thompson-Robinson gained a substantial amount of respect.

He played through injury in the fourth quarter and did everything he could to secure the win.

But the absence of defensive coordinator Bill McGovern was arguably the difference against the Trojans.

6. Oregon State (8-3, 5-3) ◄►

Securing their first win in Tempe since 2009, the Beavers have officially turned a corner.

The Oregon State defense has given up just 60 points over the last five games while its offense has put up 156.

Numbers like that will almost guarantee victories and a 10-win season remains a possibility.

7. Washington State (7-4, 4-4) ◄►

The Cougar defense forced four interceptions in the desert sun to get the job done against Arizona.

It was an emotional game against former WSU quarterback Jayden de Laura, but Cam Ward made the difference.

His 59 yards rushing sealed the deal, even though the Coug Raid somewhat stalled in the second half.

8. Arizona (4-7, 2-6) ◄►

Needing a victory to stay in contention for a bowl game, Jedd Fisch and the Wildcats fell short.

Arizona football Pac-12 The loss will be completely forgotten, though, if Arizona beats the Sun Devils on Friday.

Dorian Singer, Jacob Cowing, and Tetairoa McMillan arguably comprise the top receiving corps in the country and should have field days against ASU.

9. Cal (4-7, 2-6) ▲1

The struggles through most of the year can be swept under the rug after Cal won The Big Game.

It took a comeback in the fourth quarter, but Justin Wilcox got it done.

The victory puts a new perspective on the year and helps ease the pain from some of the poor losses.

10. Arizona State (3-8, 2-6) ▼1

There’s no sugar-coating it, Arizona State is on the brink of one of the worst seasons in program history.

A loss to Arizona in the Territorial Cup would set ASU back into a deep hole.

And without any smoke in the coaching search, times are dire in Tempe.

11. Stanford (3-8, 1-8) ◄►

It’s another lost season for the Cardinal after the second-straight defeat to California.

The program is treading in the wrong direction under David Shaw and there’s no apparent end in sight.

But without much pressure to make a change, a few more years of trending water might be inescapable.

12. Colorado (1-10, 1-7) ◄►

The on-field action has taken a backseat to Colorado’s coaching search.

Reports are linking Deion Sanders to the opening and the CU administration appears to be close to a decision.

Whoever gets the job will be dealt the substantial task of rebuilding the Buffaloes’ roster.

How our Senior Football Writers and Broadcasters Voted

	Dane Miller	Jack Follman	Stephen Vilardo	Nick Bartlett	Steve Ritchie	Spencer McLaughlin	Matt Wadleigh
1	USC	Oregon	USC	USC	USC	USC	USC
2	Oregon	USC	Oregon	Oregon	UW	Oregon	Oregon
3	UW	UW	Utah	Utah	Oregon	Utah	Utah
4	UCLA	Utah	UCLA	UCLA	Utah	UCLA	UW
5	Utah	UCLA	UW	UW	OSU	UW	UCLA
6	OSU	OSU	OSU	OSU	UCLA	OSU	OSU
7	WSU	WSU	WSU	WSU	WSU	WSU	WSU
8	Arizona	Cal	Cal	Cal	Arizona	Arizona	Arizona
9	Cal	Arizona	Arizona	Arizona	Cal	Cal	ASU
10	ASU	ASU	ASU	ASU	ASU	Stanford	Cal
11	Stanford	Stanford	Stanford	Stanford	Stanford	ASU	Colorado
12	Colorado	Colorado	Colorado	Colorado	Colorado	Colorado	Stanford