2022 Week 13 SuperWest Football Power Rankings

With the MWC Title Game locked up, some perspective can be garnered from this season

Posted on November 23, 2022


  By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports

The top teams in the Mountain West and BYU all secured victories over the weekend.

With the MWC Championship Game locked up and the Cougars’ bowl eligibility secured, some perspective can be garnered from this season.

While some teams have had up and down years, the cream rises to the top.

And after pivotal results in the Pac-12, our 16-team Power Ranking was shaken up.

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


1. USC (10-1, 8-1) â—„â–ş
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) â–˛1
Bo Nix played through injury and the Ducks overcame a poor coaching decision to start the second half.

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12But 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) â–Ľ1
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) â–˛1
Sitting at 6-2 in conference play, Washington remains in the mix for the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Washington football pac-12The 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) â—„â–ş
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. Boise State (8-3, 7-0) â–˛1
An appearance in the Mountain West Championship Game was secured with a respectable road victory over Wyoming.

The game wasn’t perfect, but Taylen Green did what he needed to do on the ground to get the win.

It’s been an up-and-down season for Boise State but the mid-season changes have worked like a charm.


8. Washington State (7-4, 4-4) â–Ľ1

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.


9. Fresno State (7-4, 6-1) â–˛1
Jake Haener has led Fresno State back to the Mountain West Championship Game after the Bulldogs looked dead in the water earlier in the year.

The rebound is one of the top stories in the MWC and indicates the legacy Haener is leaving in Fresno.

But the job isn’t finished and work remains to be done.


10. BYU (6-5) â–˛1
Up by only eight points at halftime, BYU struggled to pull away from Utah Tech.

But the victory secured the Cougars’ bowl eligibility and Jaren Hall threw for 456 yards passing in what might have been his last game at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

It’s been a disappointing year in Provo, yet the perception could be slightly improved by winning out.


11. Arizona (4-7, 2-6) â–Ľ2
Needing a victory to stay in contention for a bowl game, Jedd Fisch and the Wildcats fell short.

Arizona football Pac-12The 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.


12. San Diego State (7-4, 5-2) â–˛1
Considering the tumultuous start to the season, San Diego State’s bounce back is impressive.

Jalen Mayden has improved each week and the Aztec defense has returned to form.

The result is a hot team entering the final matchup of the year with bowl eligibility secured.


13. Cal (4-7, 2-6) â–˛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.



14. Arizona State (3-8, 2-6) â–Ľ2
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.



15. Stanford (3-8, 1-8) â—„â–ş
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.



16. Colorado (1-10, 1-7) â—„â–ş
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
USCOregonUSCUSCUSCUSCUSC
2
OregonUSCOregonOregonUWOregonOregon
3
UWUWUtahUtahOregonUtahUtah
4
UCLAUtahUCLAUCLAUtahUCLAUW
5
UtahUCLAUWUWOSUUWUCLA
6
OSUOSUOSUOSUUCLAOSUBSU
7
BSUWSUBSUWSUWSUWSUFresno St
8
WSUBSUWSUBSUBSUArizonaBYU
9
Fresno StFresno StFresno StFresno StFresno StBSUSDSU
10
BYUCalCalBYUSDSUBYUOSU
11
ArizonaArizonaBYUSDSUBYUCalWSU
12
SDSUASUSDSUCalArizonaFresno StArizona
13
CalSDSUArizonaArizonaCalStanfordASU
14
ASUStanfordASUASUASUSDSUCal
15
StanfordBYUStanfordStanfordStanfordASUColorado
16
ColoradoColoradoColoradoColoradoColoradoColoradoStanford



—More from Dane Miller—