See Where Huskies Land in SI's Pac-12 Preseason Power Rankings

The voting was fairly tight among the top rungs of this conference polling.

Outside of Seattle, the University of Washington football team seems formidable and upper echelon to Sports Illustrated's Pac-12 Conference experts, but an not overwhelming entry.

In the first power rankings compiled from those who cover the league teams for the SI network, the Huskies emerged third in the first balloting conducted, trailing Oregon and USC. 

The Ducks edged the Trojans by a solitary point in the rankings and finished nine points ahead of Jimmy Lake's Husky team.

Representing Husky Maven, I put the Ducks third in the rankings. I'm just not sold on Oregon as the league's best team coming in, primarily because of its reliance on quarterback Anthony Brown, the Boston College transfer and somewhat of a recycled player. 

Brown couldn't earn the job until late last season and he might not be able hold off the slew of talented, young prospects waiting to take over should he stumble.

I just watched nearly 30 UW practices since April 7 and I see a Husky team that looks much more powerful than others might think.

By reputation alone, the Ducks clearly have the top defensive player in the conference, in edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, while USC will go to battle behind the league's top quarterback in Kedon Slovis.

The individual voting and comments of the Pac-12 experts are listed below. 

SI PAC-12 PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

1. Oregon (4) 68 points

2. USC (1) 67

3. Washington 59

4. Utah (1) 53

5. Arizona State 51

6. UCLA 40

7. Cal 35

8. Stanford 30

9. Colorado 26

10. Oregon State 17

11. Washington State 14

12. Arizona 8

DONNIE DRUIN, ALL SUN DEVILS

1. Oregon; 2. USC; 3. Washington; 4. Arizona State; 5. Utah; 6. UCLA; 7. Cal; 8. Colorado; 9. Stanford; 10. Oregon State; 11. Washington State; 12. Arizona

Comment: The Pac-12 are the only conference to not have an odds-on favorite to bring home the title heading into the season, showcasing just how wide open the conference is. Heavyweights such as Oregon/USC/Washington are a must in any preseason top three, while programs such as Arizona State and Utah have the ability to make a push for a conference title as well. Watch out for teams such as UCLA and Colorado as sneaky dark horse teams as well.

JAKE CURTIS, CAL SPORTS REPORT

1. Utah; 2. USC; 3. Oregon; 4. Arizona State; 5. Washington; 6. Cal; 7. UCLA; 8. Stanford; 9. Washington State; 10. Colorado; 11. Oregon State; 12. Arizona.

Comment: Utah has the best defense in the conference, and should be more than adequate at quarterback, whether it’s Charlie Brewer or Cam Rising. That’s enough in a conference where no team is dominant. USC has the best quarterback (Kedon Slovis) and a favorable conference schedule, which gives the Trojans an edge over Oregon. The only certainty in the Pac-12 is that Arizona is the worst team.

MAX TORRES, DUCKS DIGEST

1. Oregon; 2. USC; 3. Washington; 4. Arizona State; 5. Utah; 6. UCLA; 7. Cal; 8. Stanford; 9. Colorado; 10. Oregon State; 11. Washington State; 12. Arizona.

Comment: The top and bottom three of these rankings probably won't surprise many, as Oregon's effort on the recruiting trail is really starting to pay off in sharpening the on-field product. The No. 10 spot is interesting with Oregon State since the Beavers beat Oregon last season and have brought in some really talented transfers. I think UCLA is probably the team I could see breaking into the top quarter of the rankings, and I gave Utah the edge because Whittingham is a solid coach. The Bruins only went 3-4 last season, but they lost a lot of close games and have a strong quarterback in Dorian Thompson-Robinson returning to lead the way.

SAM CONNON, ALL BRUINS

1. Oregon; 2. USC; 3. Washington; 4. Utah; 5. UCLA; 6. Stanford; 7. Arizona State; 8. California; 9. Colorado; 10. Oregon State; 11. Arizona;

12. Washington State.

Comment: I know I'm probably lower on Arizona State than most people, but I stand by it. The Sun Devils' two wins last season came against teams that went a combined 2-10, so a lot of the so-called momentum they picked up at the end of last year seems inflated. Jayden Daniels also regressed in every major statistical passing category. Overall, they aren't bad, they just need to prove themselves a lot more to warrant any kind of praise in 2021.

CLAUDETTE MONTANA PATTISON, ALL TROJANS

1. Oregon; 2. USC; 3. Washington; 4. Arizona State; 5. Utah; 6. Colorado; 7. UCLA; 8. Stanford; 9. Cal; 10. Washington State; 11. Arizona; 12. Oregon State.

Comment: I believe it's fair to predict that Oregon, USC and Washington will finish atop the Pac-12 conference this year with a possible USC vs. Oregon Pac-12 Championship rematch. Arizona State, Utah, UCLA and Colorado are also four teams that I anticipate being highly competitive this season.

DAN RALEY, HUSKY MAVEN

1. USC; 2. Washington; 3. Oregon; 4. Arizona State; 5. Utah; 6. California; 7. UCLA; 8. Oregon State; 9. Stanford; 10. Colorado; 11. Washington State; 12. Arizona

Comment: In these uncertain times of realignment, alliance and playoff expansion, USC should be the Pac-12 favorite every year, with 2021 no exception. This would be the best way for the conference to protect itself from dilution, sell itself some sort of Big Ten and ACC consolidation and become playoff relevant. Around the league, each of the top contenders have proven quarterbacks to lead them.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.