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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Jacob Thorpe’s Pac-12 Power Rankings

PULLMAN – The Washington schools each won on the road against a prestige Pac-12 program last week and suddenly national analysts are projecting both teams to play in bowl games.

And while a postseason trip would be a boon for either program, arguably the most exciting thing about both is how young they are. The Huskies started true freshmen at the key offensive positions of quarterback, running back and left tackle during last weekend’s win over USC, while Washington State is only expected to lose three senior starters on offense and five on defense.

What’s more, both teams have shown rapid growth since season-opening losses and they both followed up six-point losses to California with statement wins that were arguably their coaches’ finest at their respective schools.

All that bodes well for the future of both programs and should make for an exciting Apple Cup this season, particularly if one or both schools have a bowl trip on the line.

Here are the Pac-12 rankings:

1 Utah (5-0, last week: 1) Beating the conference’s only other undefeated team last weekend was good. But there’s a lingering sense that the Utes should have done more with Cal’s six turnovers.

2 Stanford (4-1, last week: 2) It’s universally understood that Stanford wins because of excellent play in the trenches. But that means exceptional skill players like Christian McCaffrey, Remound Wright and Barry Sanders Jr. are perennially underrated.

3 UCLA (4-1, last week: 4) Maybe an extra week to prepare will help the Bruins finally beat Stanford.

4 Arizona (4-2, last week: 8) Take me down to blowout city where the Arizona Wildcat is either a lion or a kitty. The Wildcats have yet to play a game decided by single digits this season and only one UA game had a final margin of fewer than 24 points.

5 California (5-1, last week: 5) Bad news: Jared Goff looked pretty human at Utah. Good news: The Golden Bears still almost beat the Pac-12’s best team.

6 Arizona St. (4-2, last week: 6) The Sun Devils are turning into the team everyone thought they would be, with just a couple scuff marks to hint at their early-season struggles.

7 Washington State (3-2, last week: 10) The off-season hire of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch might have changed the entire complexion of a WSU team that can now win with its defense.

8 Washington (3-2, last week: 11) The Huskies defense is No. 1 in the conference against the run. And yet it sure seemed like USC threw the game away by throwing.

9 Colorado (3-3, last week: 9) The Buffaloes marathon jog to bowl eligibility not nearly as urgent as Colorado scientists’ race to clone Nelson Spruce before he graduates.

10 Oregon (3-3, last week: 7) If the Ducks can lose a game in which their top two running backs average nine yards per carry, how are they going to beat anybody?

11 USC (4-2, last week: 3) Firing a Pete Carroll disciple jump-started the Trojans last time around, but it’s probably not a viable strategy for sustained success.

12 Oregon State (2-4, last week: 12) Statistically, the Beavers had one of the conference’s least forgiving defenses. Then they played Arizona.