Pac-12 up for grabs

Going into the season, the University of Southern California was the unanimous favorite to claim the Pac-12 title. The Trojans were believed to possess every quality a team could ask for: an experienced quarterback ready to take the next step to stardom, two young, consistent wideouts, a stud transfer to occupy the vacant running back position, a sound defense, and a chip on their shoulder. However, Stanford’s shocking victory over USC in Week 3 not only destroyed the Trojans’ hopes for a national title, but also shook up the entire Pac-12 landscape. With the Pac-12 title now up in the air, many contenders are beginning to emerge in hopes to seize it first from the competition.

With the Pac-12 South shaken-up upon USC’s loss, a mad scramble for the top spot has since broken out. In an unlikely turn of events, unranked Arizona State has claimed the top spot over both the 13th ranked Trojans and 25th ranked UCLA Bruins. A relatively easy schedule could be the cause of their surprising start, but the rise of difficulty they’ll face in the upcoming weeks will determine just how legit the Sun Devils are. They’ll soon face the Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, Oregon State Beavers, and USC Trojans, all in consecutive weeks, starting October 18th. If UCLA and USC hope to overtake Arizona State, they’ll have to do so by way of their high-powered offenses and hope it can better the Sun Devils’ respectable 28th-ranked defense.

Along the North Pacific coast, the second ranked Oregon Ducks are soaring above the competition on the wings of their electric offense. With Kenjon Barner and Heisman hopeful De’Anthony Thomas running wild on defenses across the nation, the Ducks look nearly unstoppable with the ball in their hands averaging 52 points per game (good for 4th in the nation). However the Oregon State Beavers, an in-state rival of the Ducks, are making a strong statement this year that they should not be overlooked. Sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion is averaging over 360 passing yards a game and is among the elite college quarterbacks in total passing yards despite having played one less game than the league-leaders (the Beavers’ opening game at Nicholls State was postponed due to Hurricane Isaac). Oregon State has already upset teams like the Wisconsin Badgers and UCLA Bruins and should be viewed as a legitimate threat by both Pac-12 opponents and schools nationwide. Also potential threats in the Pac-12 North are the Washington Huskies and the Stanford Cardinals. Although both teams are 3-1, the Huskies defeat of the Cardinals could prove to have a huge impact as the weeks roll on.