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1. Washington (5-0, 2-0) ◄►

Kalen DeBoer and the Dawgs used their bye week to prepare for Oregon. College GameDay will be in attendance and the 12:30 pm kickoff time on ABC will have the nation watching.

The close victory in Tucson appears in a better light now, too. The Wildcats took USC to triple-overtime, indicating the strength of Arizona’s program and making the seven-point win a higher-quality result.

With Playoff aspirations on the table, the matchup with the Ducks is the most significant in the history of the series, marking the first-ever Top 10 game between them.

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2. Oregon (5-0, 2-0) ◄►

The Oregon coaching staff spent its off week on the recruiting trail while also preparing for UW.

Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi traveled to the desert to visit five-star defensive lineman Elijah Rushing, which arguably contributed to his decommitment from Arizona.

Meanwhile, four-star cornerback Sione Laulea, the nation’s No. 1 JUCO prospect, announced his commitment to attend school in Eugene.

Those 2024 recruiting wins won’t factor into this year’s results, but they could be rendered less meaningful if the Ducks don’t beat Washington on Saturday.

The UO defense has taken several steps forward this season, yet the Husky offense is far and away the most dangerous Oregon has faced this season.

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3. USC (6-0, 4-0) ◄►

A Playoff-caliber team doesn’t need triple overtime to beat Arizona at home. USC was able to get the job done because of the talent on its roster.

But the Trojans’ inability to play a complete, sixty-minute game is going to come back to bite them. A win is a win, except when there’s a committee of people involved in selecting four teams to compete for a national championship.

For the Selection Committee, a razor-thin margin of victory over an unranked Wildcats team is the equivalent of a loss. Combined with the poor second half against Colorado, it’s clear USC is trending in the wrong direction.

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4. Oregon State (5-1, 2-1) ▲1

It wasn’t a defensive masterclass, but Jonathan Smith and the Beavers secured a victory on the road.

The 40 points allowed was the third-most since the start of the 2020 season. At the same time, the 52 points scored was the highest in a conference game since 2019.

However the win comes, Oregon State will take it. Returning home to host UCLA this week, the attention shifts to dealing with Bruin defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

The fortunes of the season hang in the balance. A loss to UCLA would effectively limit the ceiling of this year’s team.

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5. Utah (4-1, 1-1) ▲1

Kyle Whittingham and the Utes needed the bye week. Injuries have derailed the season and relegated the program to the middle of the Pac-12.

Cam Rising’s status remains questionable and the expectations for the season have been substantially damaged. Still, Utah has just a single loss and a quality nonconference resume.

All of the program’s goals are still ahead of it and within reach.

In many ways, the week off acts as a midseason reset that could put the Utes back on track to the top of the league.

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6. Washington State (4-1, 1-1) ▼2

Either D’Anton Lynn schematically exposed Ben Arbuckle’s offense or UCLA’s defensive line was too powerful for the Cougars to stop.

Maybe it’s both.

The defeat at the Rose Bowl to the Bruins was as ugly as it was damaging. Suddenly, the victories against Oregon State and Wisconsin are under scrutiny.

Going on the road is an entirely different ballgame and both of Wazzu’s resume victories came in Pullman.

Lynn’s defensive line is among the top in the Pac-12. But there’s plenty of game film for talented defensive coordinators to examine when preparing for Arbuckle going forward.

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7. UCLA (4-1, 1-1) ◄►

Facing somewhat of a must-win, Chip Kelly and the Bruins delivered. The victory over Washington State means the program is not taking steps backward this season.

There’s still a long road ahead, but the win was a step in the right direction.

The story of the year in Westwood has been defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Kelly may have cracked the code when it comes to strong defensive hires: take from the NFL.

Lynn’s professional background has helped build a defense that has tremendously exceeded expectations. If there was a midseason award for Pac-12 Coordinator of the Year, it would undoubtedly go to Lynn.

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8. Arizona (3-3, 1-2) ▲1

Moral victories are getting old. For the second straight weekend, Arizona lost a game in a way that feels like a win.

The Wildcats were expected to get blown out by both Washington and USC, yet took each program down to the wire. The results indicate the status of Jedd Fisch’s team.

Still, the climb uphill remains steep.

And now, Fisch has a quarterback controversy on his hands. That’s a worry for the program after he botched the quarterback situation in his first year in Tucson.

It seems fairly clear that Noah Fifita should start, but all signs indicate Jayden de Laura will regain the role once he returns from injury.

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9. Colorado (4-2. 1-2) ▼1

At a certain point, it seems like Colorado is reaching its ceiling. Needing overtime to beat a vulnerable Arizona State team decimated by injuries might be that point.

Looking at the remainder of the schedule, Stanford could be the lone surefire win. The Buffs have road games at UCLA, Washington State, and Utah along with home games against Oregon State and Arizona.

That’s a tough path to six wins. With a defense that struggles and an offensive line that can’t protect, CU might be nearing its maximum.

Shedeur Sanders flashing his expensive watch to the ASU student section after barely escaping with a win is not a good look, either.

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10. California (3-3, 1-2) ◄►

The story doesn’t change in Berkeley. How many years will the Bears stand by while their program flounders in mediocrity?

After playing strong defense in almost every game this year, Cal gives up 52 to an Oregon State team that’s known for a time-of-possession offense.

Credit Justin Wilcox and his staff for essentially containing Damien Martinez and Deshaun Fenwick on the ground. But DJ Uiagalelei completed 76 percent of his passes for five touchdowns against a respectable Bear secondary.

If it isn’t one issue, it’s another.

Still, the quarterback problem may have been solved with third-string Fernando Mendoza and bowl eligibility isn’t entirely out of the question.

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11. Arizona State (1-5, 0-3) ◄►

Despite the injuries, Arizona State has taken several steps forward since Kenny Dillingham took over playcalling duties.

The program played USC close and took Colorado to overtime. The Sun Devils can only hypothesize what this year would have looked like had the injury bug not bitten them.

But, there’s no point in crying over spilled Gatorade and there’s plenty of season left to be played. The back-to-back sellout crowds only helped efforts on the recruiting trail, too.

Entering a bye week, ASU prepares for a gauntlet of five straight ranked opponents including three on the road.

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12. Stanford (1-4, 0-3) ◄►

With a bye week to prepare for Colorado, the Tree look to press reset on their season. From a win-loss standpoint, the 1-4 record to start the year was almost the worst-case scenario.

The win over Hawai’i to start the year may have unreasonably raised expectations while the losses to Sacramento State and Arizona returned the program back to reality.

Still, there’s plenty to look forward to in the foreseeable future.

The matchup with the Buffs might be closer than some expect along with the home games against UCLA and Cal later in the year.