Ranking the Pac-10 – Week 8

Some clarity is found in the top three this week, though I think Arizona could easily fall off in time. As I’ve said before, USC is staying in first until Oregon beats them. It’s my personal campaign to underrate and motivate the team. I can see them now…”Off The Pond thinks were no good! Let’s prove that guy wrong!” Yep, I’m doing my job.

1. USC (6-1, 3-1)
There are some definite vulnerabilities in this team. USC could be in for a rude treatment in Eugene, but I doubt the Trojans will yield its 7-year reign without a serious fight.

2. Oregon (6-1, 4-0)
As a fan, I’m starting to reach 2007 levels of confidence. Very afraid of what happens from here.

3. Arizona (5-2, 3-1)
Five turnovers against UCLA is cause for concern. I’m still not convinced this is the third best team in the Pac-10, but they already beat two of the three candidates for that spot.

4. Oregon State (4-3, 2-2)
It’s more of a hunch than anything the record is showing. They already beat Stanford and Cal needs to beat somebody good before we can pronounce them all the way back.

5. Stanford (5-3, 4-2)
Great at home, bad on the road. It’s just the way it is with Stanford. Unfortunately for Oregon, the Cardinal have the advantage of both a bye and its home field when the Ducks come to Palo Alto in two weeks.

6. California (5-3, 2-2)
They’re on the way back. Sorta’. It’s hard to tell against UCLA and Washington State. There is still a lot of room to move in the standings and we may very well find out Cal is the third best team in this conference by the end of the year. Or not. I don’t really know.

7. Arizona State (4-3, 2-2)
An enigma from one week to the next, but they mostly look like a team destined to miss out on a bowl for the second straight year. If it’s any consolation, they could be the best of what looks like an obvious bottom four.

8. Washington (3-5, 2-3)
It’s looking like an end to the consecutive losing seasons will have to wait another year. Games still remain against Cal and Oregon State and I can’t see them winning either.

9. UCLA (3-4, 0-4)
It’s looking messy in Pasadena. The offense is really, really terrible and they tried three quarterbacks against Arizona State. Washington State might be thinking they have a shot at winning a Pac-10 game.

10.Washington State (1-6, 0-5)
The moral victory parade continues as yet again, the Cougars lose to an opponent by less than they did a year ago.