By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
November 2, 2023
Following another week of football for the 25 SuperWest teams from the Pac-12, Mountain West, and BYU, it’s time to see how they stack up.
As always, these updated Power Rankings look at where each team stands at this moment in time.
They are likely to fluctuate from week to week as some squads get hot and others struggle through slumps.
Here’s a look at how the 25 teams stack up heading into Week 10.
1. Oregon (7-1, 4-1) ▲1
The Ducks are the best team in the Pac-12, end of story.Oregon has the complete package. On offense, they are balanced and can pound the rock and beat you up physically or get you with the passing game.
On Defense, they will get pressure from the from seven and create havoc.
Oregon has the third-highest-scoring offense in the nation and 11th-best-scoring defense.
2. Washington (8-0, 5-0) ▼1
Washington has now won 15 straight games, the second-longest active streak in the nation.The Huskies keep on winning, but they have not looked their best in the last three weeks. They allowed Stanford to score on them.
A wounded USC team awaits, look out for the upset in L.A.
3. Air Force (8-0, 5-0) ◄►
Air Force has won 13 straight games, the fourth longest streak in the nation. The Falcons are off to their best start since 1985.They were tested for a half against Colorado State before dominating the second half.
Air Force scored the final 17 points of the game and outgained the Rams 191-113 after getting outgained 226-100 in the first half.
4. UCLA (6-2, 3-2) ▲3
The win over Colorado was far from the best performance the Bruins have had this season, but they still got a win.The defense continues to look really good and they are turning up the pressure. UCLA is fourth in the nation with 3.88 sacks per game and sixth in America with 8.25 TFL per game.
5. Utah (6-2, 3-2) ▼1
Utah was overmatched by Oregon as their 29-point loss to the Ducks was their most lopsided loss at home since a 42-10 loss to Arizona in 2014.The Utes were banged up against Oregon, but they have been all season.
It is more a case of Oregon being that good than Utah being that bad.
6. Fresno State (7-1, 3-1) ▲2
Fresno State has won eight in a row at home, tied for the sixth-longest active streak in the nation.The Bulldog defense has been good against the run and the pass this season and is starting to make things difficult on opponents.
On offense, Fresno State is having a hard time getting the running game going but the passing offense is the 14th best in the nation.
7. Arizona (5-3, 3-2) ▲3
Last week I said Arizona had a clear path to six wins and a bowl with Colorado and Arizona State upcoming. Well, if we hold that true, then it is a path to a seven- or eight-win season.Arizona is playing some good football and the results are coming this season.
The biggest improvement has come on the defensive side of the ball where Arizona is allowing 342.1 yards per game and that includes games against USC and Washington.
8. Oregon State (6-2, 3-2) ▼3
Last week I wrote that the Beavers still controlled their own fate, that is certainly not the case anymore after the loss to Arizona.This season the Beavs are allowing just 21.1 points per game, but in the last three they have allowed 30.3 points per game.
The defense has to get back to shutting teams down.
9. Boise State (4-4, 3-1) ▲6
After giving up 137.7 yards per game on the ground in the first six games of the season, the Broncos have allowed just 34.5 yards on the ground in the last two outings.Against Wyoming, they held the Cowboys to 112 yards, their second-best defensive effort ever in a MW game. The offense was balanced and looks like things are starting to click.
Don’t sleep on this Broncos team just yet.
10. USC (7-2, 5-1) ▼1
USC came away with a win at Cal. It was not pretty but it was a win. USC’s defense is just not getting it done.The Trojans are 11th in the nation with 7.78 TFL per game, but when they don’t bring opponents down in the backfield it is not good.
Caleb Williams can only pull so many rabbits out of his hat.
11. UNLV (6-2, 3-1) ◄►
UNLV may have lost last week, but they played toe-to-toe with Fresno State in the Valley.The Rebels are vastly improved this season and are off to their best eight-game start to a season since 1984.
UNLV is looking at a seven- or eight-win season in year one of the Barry Odom era.
12. Wyoming (5-3, 2-2) ▼6
Wyoming came out of a bye and went to Boise State with momentum.They left Boise the same way they have in all nine of their trips to the blue turf, with a loss.
Wyoming could not muster any offense at all and the defense allowed the Broncos to possess the ball for over 38 minutes and rack up 200+ yards both rushing and passing.
13. BYU (5-3, 2-3) ◄►
Facing Texas in Austin was not going to be an easy assignment for the Cougars and UT was far too strong for BYU.Nonetheless, the Cougars have yet to lose back-to-back games this season.
If they can keep that streak alive they will claim their first-ever road Big 12 win in Morgantown.
14. San Jose State (4-5, 3-2) ▲3
Things are starting to click for San Jose State.The Spartans have outscored opponents 80-14 in the second half of the last three games.
The 35-0 win over Hawai’i was the first shutout for the Spartans since 2013 when they beat Sacramento State in 2013, and the first shutout of an FBS opponent since a 12-0 win over Navy in 2012.
15. Colorado State (3-5, 1-3) ▼1
The Rams are 3-5 and you have got to think they are kicking themselves for a few of those losses.They had Colorado pinned down and let them off the hook late. And they allowed a late lead to slip away on the final play at UNLV.
Against Air Force, CSU owned the first half only to have the script completely flipped after halftime.
16. Cal (3-5, 1-4) ◄►
It is safe to say Cal has found their QB in Fernando Mendoza.The Bears took USC to the wire. The resiliency that the Bears showed in the loss was impressive. They had a lead at halftime, let it slip away, and were still able to get it back late.
Justin Wilcox going for two and the win rather than kicking the PAT for overtime was refreshing to see. I’d like to see a few other coaches across the country (or at least one for sure) start taking that approach.
17. Washington State (4-4, 1-4) ▼4
Washington State is 4-4 and it is easy to get disappointed when you are in the midst of a four-game losing streak.But it is also fair to say that the Cougars that started the season 4-0 may have been a bit above their level.
At the start of the season, if you told a WSU team they’d be 4-4 after eight games and most likely favored to win three of the last four, I think those fans would have signed up for that.
18. Utah State (3-5, 1-3) ▼1
Utah State has been outscored 105-17 in the first quarter this season. They just can’t seem to get the start of the game right.If they could play the first quarter in addition to the final three, they’d be in a lot better shape.
The Aggies are coming off their bye this week, and we’ll see if they can start fast or will need to shake off the rust.
19. Arizona State (2-6, 1-4) ▲1
The Sun Devils got a big win over Washington State.Sure, the Cougs are reeling, but ASU needed a win.
The Devils have played hard this season and had some neat misses. Getting that win was a big one and could be a stepping stone for program growth.
20. Colorado (4-4, 1-4) ▼2
Colorado is just not a very good team this season. Are they a bad team? No. But they just aren’t there yet.The talent at the skill positions is phenomenal, but they are getting beat on both sides of the line.
Good—even decent—teams will get pressure on Shedeur Sanders. No matter how good he is, if he doesn’t have time to operate, he can’t do much.
The Buffs’ defensive line is also not getting it done.
21. Stanford (2-6, 1-5) ◄►
Stanford followed up their rough outing against UCLA with an inspired performance against Washington.The Cardinal have been a lot more competitive than expected in some games this season, and in others, they have laid an egg.
The consistency needs to be there and this week will be a good test of that to see which Stanford team shows up against Washington State.
22. Nevada (2-6, 2-2) ▲2
Nevada is riding a two-game win streak.The Wolf Pack forced three first-half turnovers and made New Mexico pay for them.
Hawai’i is next up and we may just see a three-game win streak out of Nevada.
23. New Mexico (3-5, 1-3) ▼1
The Lobos had a chance at a win streak with a trip to Reno but they could not get the win over Nevada.New Mexico fell behind by 24 in the first half and could not get back in it despite a better first half.
Three first-half interceptions did them in.
24. San Diego State (3-5, 1-3) ▼1
San Diego State had a bye, and that may have been the best thing for this program.The Aztecs offense is really struggling.
This week the offense will need to produce in order to match scores with Utah State.
25. Hawai’i (2-7, 0-4) ◄►
Last week Hawai’i was shut out for the first time since 2017 and for the first time at home since 1998.Brayden Schager failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in his last 18 games.
The Rainbow Warriors still have a ways to go.
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