Deion Sanders and Colorado rise in Pac-12 Power Rankings

The Buffaloes get a statement road win against 17th ranked TCU

The Pac-12 is going out with a bang!

We may have entered the final chapter but, there’s certainly plenty of stories to tell. As we wrap up week one, the league has yet to lose.

With Oregon State winning today, the Pac-12 improves to 13-0 on the season (with USC being 2-0).

This marks the first time every team in the Pac-12 won its season opener since 1932. pic.twitter.com/Cv14I7wBJn

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 3, 2023

Undefeated! Will it stay that way? No. Conference games are underway. Let’s check out the completely unbiased power rankings.

Power Rankings (through week 1)

No. 1 USC Trojans: I wouldn’t call Nevada and San Jose State cupcakes but, I also wouldn’t say these were real tests for Lincoln Riley’s crew. A few eyebrows have been raised over the defense. With Stanford and Arizona State on deck, we may not know exactly what we have in USC until they face Colorado.

No. 2 Washington: Michael Penix has had a strange career. From an arguably overhyped youngster at Indiana, to a castoff being blamed for the Hoosiers failures, it’s been a remarkable journey. I’m happy he’s having a second shot at stardom and he’s been delivering big time!

No. 3 Oregon State: Look, I wouldn’t recognize Jonathan Smith if he walked into my living room. You’re probably thinking, “who the hell is Jonathan Smith?” That’s an equally valid point. Unfortunately, whether we acknowledge their existence or not, Oregon State and Jonathan Smith are really good! They could end up winning the whole thing. They’re Pac-2 tough! And they’re not going away…..other than maybe to the Mountain West at some point. 

No. 4 Colorado: It looks the #WeComing hashtag has been put to bed. It’s all about #WeCame or #WeHere from here on out. Could this team get to 3-0 before facing Oregon and USC? Well, they have to start with a win over Nebraska on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff.

No. 5 Oregon: Dan Lanning’s squad beat up on Portland State 81-7. Tell me what Portland State has even done against Pac-12 opponents? Yawn.

No. 6 Utah: Meh.

No. 7 UCLA: Solid victory over Coastal Carolina. We’ll know a lot more after this week’s showdown with 2-0 San Diego State.

No. 8 Washington State: Big win over Colorado State. Can’t wait to see them battle in conference play moving forward.

No. 9 Stanford: ACC, ACC, ACC! It just means less.

No. 10 Cal: I actually like Cal. I don’t know if they’re any good but, I like them. So, there’s that.

No. 11 Arizona: They beat NAU by the score of 38-3. Any time you square up against a directional Arizona team, you’re not cracking the top 10.

No. 12 Arizona State: I’m not going to be the guy who says this team is not good. There’s a lot people saying it but not me. I’m not that guy, pal, I’m not that guy! They need a bounce back game after that week one performance.