The Pac-12 games this week weren’t nearly as exciting as last week, as even the closest game was won by 18 points. The two matchups between ranked teams did not live up to expectations, as Arizona took care of Utah and UCLA took care of USC. However, there are some positive situations to note. Stanford (finally!) and Washington both became bowl eligible this week, and Oregon stayed on the College Football Playoff path. The Pac-12 South Champion has still not been crowned yet, as UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State are all in the running.
Pac-12 Week 13 Analysis
Game of the Week
Arizona State 52, Washington State 31
There was not a great game that lasted 60 minutes, but I’ll award Washington State here for their great start to the game. Washington State actually led by 14 points at one point in the second quarter and took a three-point lead into halftime. However, Arizona State woke up in the second half and cruised to victory. For Arizona State, the victory will keep them in the top 15 nationally and their Pac-12 South chances are still alive. If UCLA loses to Stanford, Arizona State can win the Pac-12 South with a road win over rival Arizona.
Washington State fell to 3-8 on the season and there will be no postseason for them. They host rival Washington in the final game of their season. An Apple Cup victory could end a poor season on a high note.
Arizona 42, Utah 10
Arizona started the game with a 21-point lead and they didn’t look back. They finally notched their second impressive win of the season after the Oregon upset. Arizona is in the same position as Arizona State, as they will be ranked in the top 15 nationally and they need a UCLA loss to win the Pac-12 South. The Territorial Cup is more important than ever this year.
Utah’s pedestrian offense was exposed in this game, as they could not keep up with the high-powered Arizona offense. Utah fell to 7-4, which is good enough for fifth in the Pac-12 South. After the most difficult four-game stretch for any team in college football this year, Utah gets to relax against Colorado in the final game of the regular season.
Stanford 38, Cal 17
Stanford finally claimed that elusive sixth win and they are one of the eight bowl eligible Pac-12 teams so far. After a dominating performance in this game, Stanford has a chance to spoil UCLA’s season and impact the Pac-12 South race. Seven wins would obviously net them a more respectable bowl, and a marquee win against UCLA would boost their resume.
Cal missed the opportunity to become bowl eligible this week, but they will have one last chance against BYU next week. After finishing 1-11 last season, a bowl game would be a tremendous improvement in a short period of time. I’m sure a few Utah fans wouldn’t mind if a Pac-12 team took care of BYU for them.
Oregon 44, Colorado 10
Not surprisingly, Oregon easily handled Colorado and improved to 10-1. They will finish the regular season against Oregon State and then play the winner of the Pac-12 South. If they can win those two games, they have a playoff spot secured. Oregon finally has a great chance to win something on a national stage.
Colorado dropped to 2-9 and they still haven’t won a conference game. The transition to the Pac-12 has been insurmountable so far for the Buffaloes, but a win over Utah in the final game of their season would be an interesting twist.
UCLA 38, USC 20
A controversial interception call before halftime changed the momentum of this game dramatically. What would likely have been a tie game heading into halftime turned into a 10-point deficit for USC. When UCLA scored on the opening possession of the second half and stretched the lead to 17, the game essentially ended. However, UCLA has been one of the most impressive teams in the country lately and a win over Stanford this week would lock up the Pac-12 South. UCLA is in an intriguing position because all of a sudden, they might be able to sneak into the College Football Playoff if they can defeat Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. UCLA will jump up to 8 this week after the Ole Miss loss, and they would pass Oregon with a win. That would leave three teams to pass for the final playoff spot. With one of the most difficult schedules in college football, a two-loss UCLA team definitely has a shot.
USC will drop out of the national rankings this week, as they fell to 7-4 on the season. Their chance to win the Pac-12 South is now gone and they have lost three straight games to UCLA. However, another rivalry game against a four-loss Notre Dame team is next on the schedule and a win would be a huge boost to a mediocre season.
Washington 37, Oregon State 13
Washington became bowl eligible after this win, as they improved to 7-5 on the season. A rivalry game against Washington State should give them their eighth win of the season, but even then, a 4-5 conference record is not impressive. The first season under Chris Petersen hasn’t entirely been successful, but it could have been worse.
Oregon State missed an opportunity to become bowl eligible here, and now they will need to pull off a tremendous upset against Oregon in a rivalry game next week. The odds are not in their favor, but few people thought they could beat Arizona State. An Oregon State upset would throw the entire college football world into disarray.
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