ESPN College Football

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See last week's Power Rankings here.

1. Oregon: Another week, another blowout win. The only worry is RB De'Anthony Thomas' ankle. A visit to Colorado on Saturday doesn't promise much of a test for the Ducks.

2. Stanford: A dominating win in the rain against Washington State. The maturation of a downfield passing game should worry the rest of the Pac-12. The Cardinal look like a team without any obvious holes.

3. Washington: After winning impressively over unbeaten Arizona, the Huskies move up with the Bruins idle. They are 4-0 for the first time since 2001 and have yet to trail this season.

4. UCLA: UCLA had a bye this week, so it got to watch things go splat for its friends at USC. Sure that greatly pained them. At this point, the Bruins top challenger in the South Division appears to be Arizona State. See below. Up next is a potentially tricky trip to Utah on Thursday.

5. Arizona State: While we can speculate on what USC brought to Tempe, the Sun Devils' offense positively dominated a defense that had been the Trojans' lone bright spot. The ASU run defense, however, continues to be a major concern.

6. Oregon State: The Beavers have steadily climbed since their opening loss to Eastern Washington. Sean Mannion to Brandin Cooks is the best pass-catch combination in the conference, and the defense seems to be finding itself. A week off to get healthy is a good thing.

7. Utah: The Utes were off over the weekend. UCLA visits Salt Lake City on Thursday. Utah, meet opportunity. Opportunity, meet Utah.

8. Arizona: There was some grit shown on both sides of the ball at Washington, but the Wildcats got worn down. The defense is better, yes, but it's not ready to dominate. And the offense shows few signs of having a Pac-12-quality passing game.

9. Washington State: Stanford showed the Cougars how far they are from the top third of the conference. A visit to California on Saturday could, however, show how far the Cougs are from the bottom now. Seems like a critical game for bowl hopes.

10. Colorado: The Buffaloes looked rusty at Oregon State, but they also looked overmatched. While the 2-0 start was encouraging, the start of conference play reminded folks that this is still a major rebuilding job.

11. California: A mix of torrential rain and a pass-happy offense is not a good thing. It's even worse when the opponent is No. 2 Oregon. The Bears could use a more manageable foe. Washington State could provide that. But is there a QB controversy?

12. USC: When your coach gets fired midseason, you end up right here. Of course, some USC fans feel better today than they did a week ago.

Another week of bowl projections for you. These are only for entertainment purposes. Do not make travel plans just yet.

VIZIO BCS National Championship (Jan. 6, 2014): Oregon vs. BCS
Rose Bowl Game Presented by VIZIO (Jan. 1, 2014): Stanford vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo Bowl (Dec. 30): UCLA vs. Big 12
Holiday Bowl (Dec. 30): Washington vs. Big 12
Hyundai Sun Bowl (Dec. 31): Arizona State vs. ACC
Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 21): Arizona vs. MWC
Fight Hunger Bowl (Dec. 27): Oregon State vs. BYU
Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 21): Washington State vs. MWC
New Era Pinstripe Bowl (Dec. 28): USC vs. American
Heart of Dallas Bowl (Jan. 1, 2014): Utah vs. Conference USA

Five things we learned during the five games in Week 5.

1. Changing impressions? Maybe rumors of Oregon State’s demise have been greatly exaggerated ... maybe. Since losing the opener to Eastern Washington, the Beavers have run off four in a row. Granted, the combined record of the four teams they beat is 6-9 (five of those six wins coming from the two Pac-12 teams). Many expected the Beavers to start 7-0, or 6-1 at worst. While no one expected that the “1” would be from an FCS team, Oregon State is still on pace. And with Sean Mannion and Brandin Cooks continuing to scorch stat sheets, you have to imagine they’ll stay competitive offensively. On the flip side of Saturday's game in Corvallis, the 2-0 start was nice for the Buffs, but they reverted against the Beavers. Going out of state for the first time -- and playing for the first time in three weeks -- the Buffs managed just 300 yards of total offense in the 44-17 loss.

2. Making impressions: People wanted to see what Washington looked like once the Huskies got into league play. Same for Arizona -- which hadn’t been tested after blowing through a vanilla nonconference schedule. The Huskies weren’t always clean, missing on a few opportunities especially in the first half of their 31-13 win over the Wildcats. But Bishop Sankey earned his 161 yards on a school-record 40 carries. Keith Price was good enough (14-of-25, 165 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). The Huskies are 4-0 for the first time since 2001. For what it’s worth, Arizona’s defense put up a gritty effort, keeping them in the game.

3. Impressive: Oregon, Stanford, Mannion and Arizona State’s offense. In a sloppy mess, the Ducks were still able to score 50-plus points for the fourth consecutive game. That’s a record for a program that doesn’t have many offensive records left to break. Stanford put on a dominating display on both sides of the ball. The offense looks explosive -- much more explosive than it did last season -- and deep threats are opening things up on the ground ... or is it the ground game opening up the deep threats? More importantly, the Cardinal put together a 60-minute game, which is what David Shaw had been preaching all week. Mannion’s monster season continues with six more touchdowns -- an Oregon State record. He now has 21 passing touchdowns on the year -- and that’s his career high for a single season. He leads the country in passing touchdowns, attempts, completions and yards. And the Sun Devils, who rolled up 612 yards of offense, received a dominating performance by quarterback Taylor Kelly, who accounted for more than 400 yards of total offense.

4. Unimpressive: Weather, obviously, had a lot to do with some of the offensive struggles for Arizona, Cal and Colorado. But there were also drops, fumbles, picks and flat-out bad reads and passes. Cal's offense was grounded with just 325 total yards and five turnovers. USC’s defense also falls into the unimpressive category. Give the credit where it’s due for ASU. Kelly was fantastic with some of his back-shoulder throws and Marion Grice just keeps finding the end zone. That said, the Trojans, who had been getting it done on defense, looked tired and beaten in the fourth quarter. And now they are 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 2001.

5. Northern impressions: With the Oregon State and Washington victories, the Pac-12 North moves to 5-0 against the South. In previous weeks, Oregon State beat Utah in overtime, Washington State beat USC and Stanford beat ASU. The average score of those five games is 36-23. Next week brings us only one North-South matchup when Oregon makes a trip to Colorado. Arizona, Oregon State and USC are on byes and UCLA and Utah play the only South matchup. Stanford hosts Washington, WSU is at Cal, and ASU takes on Notre Dame.

So who deserves a helmet sticker for a job well done?

Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State: Cooks was the best player on the field in Corvallis, decisively winning his battle with Colorado WR Paul Richardson in the Beavers' 44-17 victory. Cooks caught nine passes for 168 yards (18.7 yards per catch) with two touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 47 yards.

Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State: Cooks was brilliant, but Mannion was also stellar, throwing six touchdown passes, a new team record. He completed 27 of 52 passes for 414 yards with an interception in the blowout win. That pick, by the way, bounced off the chest of his receiver, so it shouldn't count against him.

Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington: Sankey set a school record with 40 carries in the Huskies' 31-13 win over Arizona. He gained 161 tough yards and scored a TD.

Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State: Kelly completed 23 of 34 passes for 351 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in the Sun Devils' 62-41 win over USC. He also rushed for 79 yards on just four carries -- 19.8 yards per pop.

Alden Darby, S, Arizona State: Darby had two interceptions against USC, including one he returned 46 yards for a touchdown. He also forced and recovered a fumble and tied for second on the Sun Devils with seven total tackles

Bralon Addison, PR, Oregon: Addison returned two punts for touchdowns against California, the first for 75 yards and the second for 67 yards.

Devon Cajuste, WR, Stanford: The big receiver was the star of the Cardinal's new downfield passing game. He caught four passes for 115 yards in their 55-17 win over Washington State, including touchdowns of 57 and 33 yards.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- It was blowout Saturday in the Pac-12. It was not a day and evening for subtlety. It was a time for loud butt kickings. Substantive statements were made in Seattle, Eugene and Tempe. And there was one notable whimper.

That whimper came from USC coach Lane Kiffin, whose Trojans were battered by Arizona State 62-41. It was the most points the Sun Devils have ever scored against USC. That sort of ignominy, coupled with an 0-2 start in Pac-12 play, pushed the likelihood Kiffin will be fired further from the speculative and toward the certain. All Kiffin could do afterward was show growing resignation about the crescendoing "hot seat" talk.

"I'm fine with that," he said. "I have been dealing with that for 12 months. That's fine. That's the last thing I'm worried about. We have to find a way to coach better and play better and get our backups ready."

The most notable backup will be whoever replaces Biletnikoff winner Marqise Lee. The unanimous All-American hurt his left knee in the fourth quarter and was carted off the field.

"Obviously it didn't look very good," Kiffin said. "It didn't sound very good or look very good, so that's all I got for you."

USC's wasn't the only dreary losers' locker room, as some harsh reality was delivered by conference favorites on Saturday.

The average margin of victory in Pac-12 games among Oregon, Stanford, Arizona State, Oregon State and Washington was 29 points. The closest game was Washington's 31-13 win over Arizona. The biggest margin was Oregon's 55-16 battering of California. Stanford humbled Washington State 55-17, while Oregon State brought Colorado back to earth with a 44-17 victory.

The Sun Devils made a statement in the South Division a week after getting pushed around at Stanford. They, by the way, are the only South Division team that owns a conference victory at this point.

It was an impressive bounce-back win for the Sun Devils, who gained 612 yards, their most since piling up 667 yards in a loss to Oregon in 2000. QB Taylor Kelly passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 79 yards. Touchdown-generating machine Marion Grice scored twice rushing and twice receiving. With 12 touchdowns this season, he seems likely to continue to lead the nation in scoring again this week.

The Sun Devils scorched a defense that hadn't yielded more than 285 yards or 14 points in its first four games. The offensive fireworks helped background a struggling run defense, one that yielded 247 yards to the Trojans.

While Arizona State made the first move in the South Division, the two North favorites, Oregon and Stanford, playing in the rain-soaked Northwest, continued to look like the lords of the Pac-12 manor.

The Ducks jumped all over mistake-prone Cal, grabbing a 27-0 lead in the first quarter and coasting home. The Ducks needed only 381 yards to score 55 points because of five Bears turnovers, including four fumbles.

Stanford did a slower mash on Washington State, turning a 17-3 halftime lead into a second-half laugher. The Cardinal scored touchdowns on a pair of pick-sixes, and a reinvigorated downfield passing attack included three scoring strikes from QB Kevin Hogan.

Looking up at the Ducks and Cardinal in the North are Washington and Oregon State. The 16th-ranked Huskies took down previously unbeaten Arizona behind 161 yards from RB Bishop Sankey, who did his damage with a school record 40 carries. Oregon State got a school record six touchdown passes from Sean Mannion while whipping Colorado.

The Huskies can make a big statement in the North next Saturday at Stanford. Washington upset the Cardinal last year in Seattle, but that was before Hogan took over at quarterback.

That's the headliner game in the conference next week. Arizona State will play Notre Dame in Cowboys Stadium, giving the Pac-12 another shot at being loud in nonconference play.

There was no fourth-quarter excitement on Saturday in Pac-12 games. But not only thrillers are meaningful.

While the Pac-12 has been lauded for its depth over the first quarter of the season, what Blowout Saturday made clear is there remains a clear line of demarcation between the teams in the top-half and the bottom half.

And USC's apparently being in the bottom half is going to be a problem for Kiffin.

Earlier this week, Stanford head coach David Shaw paid the Washington State Cougars high praise -- calling them one of the most physical teams the Cardinal faced last season. “Physical,” of course, being the standard by which he judges his own team.

In that “physical” matchup last year, the Cardinal offense struggled mightily, yet managed 10 sacks and a pick six in a 24-17 win over the Cougars in Palo Alto. This year, they meet in at CenturyLink Field in the Seattle Game -- an annual contest that brings the Cougs to the western part of the state once a year.

Shaw said he sees the same thing from Washington State’s defense this year … only better.

“I see the same effort, guys are playing hard,” Shaw said. “They are playing aggressive defense and they are playing smart defense. You don’t see guys out of position. You see a very coordinated effort both in the front seven and the coverage responsibilities. That’s the key to team defense, everyone know what to do. You don’t see a lot of bombs going over guy’s heads. You don’t see a lot of wide-open receivers. You don’t see a lot of runs breaking for 30-, 40-yard gains. They’re a very disciplined group.”

There will be a lot of the same faces on the field Saturday for both teams -- but they are considerably different teams than they were last year. Stanford’s offense, with Kevin Hogan running the show and the lack of a dominant tight end, looks a lot different than it did when the teams met last season. And it’s a different Washington State defense -- wiser in the ways of Mike Breske’s 3-4 scheme and playing a physical brand of ball that has Shaw taking notice.

Case in point: Per ESPN Stats and Info, Hogan has targeted his tight ends just 8 percent of the time this year -- that’s down more than 40 percent from what it was last year. All seven touchdowns have gone to either wide receivers or running backs. In fact, the tight ends have only caught four passes in three games. Wide receiver Ty Montgomery has caught four of Hogan’s seven touchdowns.

Worth noting that the Cougars enter the game with the league's top passing defense, which has yet to allow a touchdown through the air. As a whole, the Cougars are yielding just 12 points per game and the defense has given up just four touchdowns.

But the bread and butter is still the running game. And Washington State coach Mike Leach knows it.

“Offensive line and defensive line, no question,” is what Leach told reporters when asked about Stanford’s strength. “Not to take away from any of the others, but when I think of Stanford that’s what I think of -- offensive line, defensive line and real tough running backs.”

So far this season, Washington State has thrown on 74 percent of its offensive plays -- second in the FBS only to SMU. And they are the only team that has attempted fewer than 20 rushes per game. Additionally, the Cougars are gaining 62 percent of their receiving yards after the catch.

That’s going to put a lot of pressure on a Stanford secondary that will be without safety Ed Reynolds, who was suspended for the first half of the game because of a targeting penalty against Arizona State. It was Reynolds who had the pick-six against the Cougars last season.

“I think Ed Reynolds learned a lesson,” Shaw said. “I think we all have, continually. We rep it every single day in practice. I was honestly shocked because Ed never tackles like that. But he lowered his head and this is the result."

Despite that loss, and the loss of Stanford All-American offensive guard David Yankey, who returned home to Georgia this week to deal with an unspecified family issue, Leach said he’s still expecting Stanford’s best.

“I think they’re one of the top programs in the country,” he said. “I think our conference is full of them. From one week to the next, we’re full of great teams in this conference, so you just do your best, line up and play ‘em. But that’s what makes this conference exciting, is you know you’re getting tested against the best.”

A few things to keep an eye on in the Pac-12 this week.

1. League play is upon us: Rejoice! Now the Pac-12 teams can gut each other with their nine-game conference schedule and lose all of that national credibility it built up in the first four weeks of the season. This year, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, it doesn’t look like there are any easy outs. Would anyone really be shocked if Colorado beat Oregon State based on what we’ve seen? The only one that would be truly shocking would be Cal beating Oregon -- and we might raise an eyebrow if Washington State beats Stanford in Seattle -- especially sans David Yankey for the game and Ed Reynolds for a half.
2. [+] Enlarge

   Kirby Lee/USA TODAY SportsUSC's Morgan Breslin has recorded four sacks this season for the Trojans.
   Nonconference notes: A good tidbit from the folks at the Pac-12 offices regarding the league’s 29-4 nonconference record: Since 1934, only one season witnessed the conference capture more than 29 wins in nonleague play; 2002 (32-15), when the league played an eight-game conference schedule, allowing an additional 10 non-conference games to be played. There are three nonconference games remaining (a possible fourth pending Colorado’s situation) against Notre Dame. The Pac-12 is contracted with seven bowl games, so there could be as many as 11 more nonconference games.
3. Battle of elites (1): Two of the league’s top running backs will be on the field in Seattle on Saturday -- though not at the same time. That would mean either a bizarre trade or either Ka’Deem Carey or Bishop Sankey playing defense. In terms of rushing yards per game, they are separated by less than a yard (149.5 for Carey, 148.67 for Sankey). Yards per carry? It’s even closer (6.97 for Sankey, 6.95 for Carey). Both have four rushing touchdowns. While it’s not truly head-to-head, this could be one of those games folks look to when awarding postseason honors.
4. Battle of elites (2): Two of the league’s top wide receivers will be on the field in Corvallis on Saturday -- though not at the same time. That would mean a bizarre trade or either Brandin Cooks or Paul Richardson playing defense. Cooks leads the nation with 43 catches for 639 yards and seven touchdowns. In only two games, Richardson has 21 catches for 417 yards and four touchdowns. Sixty percent of the time Cooks catches the ball, Oregon State either gains a first down or scores a touchdown.
5. Battle of elites (3): Two of the league’s top defensive players will be on the field in Tempe on Saturday -- though not at the same time. That would mean either a bizarre trade or either Morgan Breslin or Will Sutton playing offense (which would be awesome!). Breslin is tied for the conference lead in total sacks (four) with teammate George Uko and leads the league in tackles for a loss per game. Sutton, on the other hand, has nine tackles, no sacks and half a tackle for a loss. The reason? Teams are double- and triple-teaming him like crazy. Plus, ASU has faced more run-based teams in the first few weeks. This week might be a good time for him to break out.
6. Speaking of USC: How good has the defense been? According to ESPN Stats & Information, none of the four quarterbacks USC has seen has posted a Total QBR above 30. The Trojans are also blitzing a lot more under new coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Last year they blitzed 25 percent of the time. This year it’s up to 46 percent. And when they blitz, opposing QBs are completing just 41.9 percent of their throws, throwing it away or ending up on the ground.
7. All hands: With big quarterback numbers come big receiving numbers. Six Pac-12 receivers have hauled in 10 or more catches in a game eight times this season, led by Cooks and Richardson with two each. Also, 17 different receivers have posted 100 or more receiving yards in a game 26 times, led by Cooks and Utah’s Dres Anderson with three games each.
8. Layoff impact: Colorado is playing for the first time since its Sept. 7 win over Central Arkansas, which seems like months ago, though it actually has been only 20 days. After their Sept. 14 game with Fresno State was called off because of the flooding, the Buffs had a bye in Week 4. This is Colorado’s first trip to Corvallis. The previous two meetings (1931, 1963) took place in Portland. This is the last Pac-12 team Colorado is yet to play since joining the league (though the Cal game in 2011 was the back end of a home and home that didn’t count in the conference standings).
9. Tough road: This is the second-straight game against a top-five team for California, which faces No. 2 Oregon this weekend. The Bears have gotten huge numbers out of true freshman quarterback Jared Goff, who leads the FBS with 435.3 yards per game. But the defense has been hammered with injuries. Not good, considering 12 different Ducks have scored touchdowns so far.
10. Odds and ends: Worth noting that four more Pac-12 receivers were recently added to the Biletnikoff watchlist: Cal’s Bryce Treggs, Oregon State’s Richard Mullaney and Washington State’s Gabe Marks, who are all in action this weekend. Utah's Dres Anderson is the fourth … UCLA and the Utes are off this week in anticipation of their Thursday night showdown next week in Salt Lake City.

Kevin Gemmell went 7-0 last week and improved to a scintillating 33-3. Ted Miller went 6-1, missing with his Holy War pick, a selection he made only to put the stink on BYU. But Utah fans shouldn't send any more checks his way.

Miller therefore fell to 31-5. Gemmel; is already making plans for the $1 million he gets if he wins the season.

All games are Saturday.

Arizona at Washington

Gemmell: Not sure what to make of Arizona yet. It hasn’t been pressed, and the passing game is still a question mark. Taking on a Washington team that has been pushed -- and is at home -- seems like a lot to overcome. And I wouldn’t worry about Washington looking over the horizon to the Stanford game next week. It'll be focused on revenge after what happened last year in Tucson. Washington 38, Arizona 24.

Miller: The Wildcats have had two weeks to prepare, but a team can't really prepare for an atmosphere like Husky Stadium. While Wildcats QB B.J. Denker has played in road games, this will be a new level of extreme. The real issue is how effective Denker is throwing the football. If the Wildcats can achieve efficient balance, the holes will be bigger for RB Ka'Deem Carey. It also will be interesting to see how the Wildcats newly stout defense holds up against the Huskies' highly rated offense. Washington 35, Arizona 20.

USC at Arizona State

Gemmell: Plenty of great sidebars and storylines in this must-win game for both teams. The Sun Devils are holding on to whatever national credibility they have by a thread. USC is riding the coattails of its defense. If Arizona State can put together 60 minutes instead of 15, I think it wins by a couple of touchdowns. If it doesn't, it could be tight. ASU 24, USC 21.

Miller: We know USC's defense is good. Do we yet know if the Trojans' offense is going to be this bad all season? The first question is whether Trojans QB Cody Kessler's throwing hand is 100 percent. The passing game went south against Utah State last weekend after he got hurt. And what will Sun Devils QB Taylor Kelly be able to do against that tough USC defense? Arizona State 21, USC 17.

Colorado at Oregon State

Gemmell: Much like Arizona, I’m waiting to see what Colorado is really made of. I love the start, and everyone feels good about the Buffaloes being 2-0. But Oregon State’s passing game has been wickedly efficient and the Sean Mannion-to-Brandin Cooks connection is one of the best in the country. The Buffs will score points, but before I start picking them in a league game on the road, I need to see just how much they’ve grown up. The two weeks off is also a wrench in predictions. They could be super rested, or super rusty. Oregon State 48, Colorado 38.

Miller: Colorado is a better team than it was in 2012, we know that. But being better and being ready to win on the road in the Pac-12 are two different things. I want to see what Buffs QB Connor Wood and WR Paul Richardson can do against a suspect Beavers defense. Oregon State 40, Colorado 28.

California at Oregon

Gemmell: Another step in the maturation of Jared Goff. Being down defensively isn’t where you want to be when playing Oregon -- especially on the road. No reason why the Ducks don’t keep things rolling. Oregon 49, Cal 21.

Miller: Both teams were off last weekend, and Cal needed a break. But Autzen Stadium isn't a place to go to heal a season. I think this one might get a bit lopsided. Oregon 50, California 20.

Stanford vs. Washington State (in Seattle)

Gemmell: Will be interesting to see how the Cougars attack Stanford early with Ed Reynolds out for the first half. I'm guessing they go at the heart of the Stanford secondary because running against the Cardinal will be a chore. Turnovers have been Washington State’s Achilles Heel (11 total, minus-3 ratio, worst in the league). Stanford will do what Stanford does. And what Stanford does should be more than enough. Stanford 31, Washington State 17.

Miller: Stanford will be missing All-American OG David Yankey, too, so the Cougs' front-seven will be catching a break. No guard in the country is better at pulling, so that hits the Cardinal's bread-and-butter. But Stanford figures to take this one seriously because the Cougars gave them trouble last year, is an obviously improved team and the Cardinal turned in a woeful fourth quarter last weekend against Arizona State. Stanford 35, Washington State 22.

USC and Arizona State have plenty in common as they prepare for their meeting on Saturday. For one, they both have experienced the red-hot blowback of negative national publicity.

USC opened the season with coach Lane Kiffin sitting on one of the nation's hottest seats. The Trojans, however, looked like a team with enough talent to silence doubters and again change the negative Kiffin narrative. That all changed after the 10-7 home defeat to Washington State on Sept. 7. That game featured the most miserable offensive performance the Trojans have posted in over a decade and was capped by "Fire Kiffin!" chants in the LA Coliseum.

Two consecutive wins, an impressive 35-7 victory over Boston College and a lackluster showing -- at least on offense -- against Utah State, haven't cooled things down much for Kiffin.

The Sun Devils? Their victory over Wisconsin vaulted them into the national rankings, but the mind-blowing endgame gaffe by the Pac-12 officiating crew threw the positives in the background. Then they turned in a miserable performance for the first three quarters at Stanford, a strong fourth quarter doing little to change the perception that they face planted in a game when the program could have made a national statement.

But the programs share two things that are far more important than experiencing media and fan blowback. Such as: 1. Both play in the Pac-12 South Division; 2. Both don't want to start the conference schedule 0-2.

Low moments and controversy during the season's first quarter? Fine. Get over it. Or potentially see the season go splat.

"You put it behind you and move forward," Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. "Obviously, it's USC, so it doesn't make it that hard. These guys know how important this game is."

The winner of this game keeps itself square in the South Division race. The loser will face a major uphill climb going forward to get back into it. And for Kiffin a loss could begin in earnest his slog toward termination.

For his part, Kiffin is trying to keep the negative noise out of the locker room and his own mind's eye. He's not even willing to consider the big-picture implications for a victory. His priority Tuesday was that day's practice.

"We don't look down the road that far," he said. "We're worried about right now."

Chief of those "right now" worries is his offense. After the dreary performance against the Cougars, the Trojans seemed to find their rhythm against Boston College. But they managed to gain just 282 yards against the Aggies, with the passing game again feckless.

Part of that was QB Cody Kessler and WR Marqise Lee being banged up.

"I thought we started OK and had some movement going on there and some balance," Kiffin said. "Then Cody took a pretty big hit on his hand. From there, his numbers dramatically changed. He was not able to grip the ball [and had] accuracy issues."

Kessler started 10 of 15 for 125 yards. He finished 3 of 12 for 39 yards. Lee caught six passes for 72 yards, but again didn't seem in sync with Kessler.

The Trojans defense doesn't seem to need too much help. It's fourth in the nation in total defense, 11th in scoring defense and second in yards per play. Maybe it all comes together for the offense in Sun Devil Stadium?

“Offensively, obviously they’ve got big time talent, big time play makers; their running backs, wide receivers, they’re as good as you can play against," Graham said.

Graham's team has plenty of talent, too, though it will be without nose tackle Jaxon Hood, who was hurt at Stanford. The Sun Devils bumbled their way through the first half at Stanford, particularly on special teams -- see two blocked punts. But they found their rhythm on both sides of the ball in the second half, particularly the fourth quarter, scoring three unanswered touchdowns before Stanford shut the door.

Graham is particularly worried about his running game, which has been surprisingly inconsistent this year. The Sun Devils have rushed for 166 yards the past two games, including just 50 against Stanford. It would not be a good thing to pass every play against a USC team that ranks fourth in the nation with four sacks per game.

"We’ve been a faster tempo, but we have not run the ball the way we need to run the ball,” Graham said. “That’s probably the biggest concern there."

The Sun Devils’ clear edge is at quarterback. While Taylor Kelly hasn't been as efficient in the early going as he was last year, Kessler is averaging just 89.5 yards passing per game. And this will be Kessler's first road start.

While coaches are always wary of drawing a line in the sand before a game, there's a feeling of "must win" hanging over this one for both coaches. A victory would open up plenty of possibilities in the Pac-12 and even the national picture. A loss might end high preseason aspirations before the schedule even hits October.

We’re four weeks into the season and the Pac-12 has (mostly) made short work of its nonconference foes. Now the fun starts. League play kicks off conference-wide this week. But before we look forward, the ESPN blogosphere is looking back at some of the best and worst through the first four weeks of each conference.

Best game: In terms of excitement, it’s tough to beat an overtime shootout. And that’s what happened when Oregon State traveled to Utah in Week 3. After building a 27-10 lead early in the third quarter, it looked like the Beavers would cruise. But Travis Wilson would lead the Utes back and they’d eventually grab a 38-37 lead. The teams swapped touchdowns in the closing three minutes to force overtime, where the Sean Mannion-to-Brandin Cooks connection gave the Beavers a 51-48 victory.

Best player: For as shaky as Oregon State’s defense has been, its offense has been sensational. So we’re going to give the nod to Cooks, who has 10 more receptions than anyone else in FBS football. Through four games he leads the nation in catches (43), receiving touchdowns (7) and first-down receptions (23). Mannion gets honorable mention, since someone has to throw the ball. But Cooks is head-and-shoulders above the rest of nation’s receivers right now. Another honorable mention to Washington’s Bishop Sankey, who has emerged over the last nine or so games as one of the country’s elite running backs.

Best performance: How about the Washington State defense -- that’s right, defense -- for its performance in the 10-7 win at USC. Damante Horton nabs a pair of interceptions, including a game-changing pick-six. Daquawn Brown makes his first career start and has a team-high 11 tackles and two pass breakups. Toni Pole blocks a kick, the front seven gets 7.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. You can say USC’s offensive inefficiency played a role. And you’d be right. But give credit where it’s due. Mike Breske had the boys ready to go and the Cougs came to town and pushed their way to a win.

Best surprise: Though his team has played in only two games so far this season, it’s hard not to feel good about the comeback of Colorado wide receiver Paul Richardson -- and really the rebirth of the Buffs under Mike MacIntyre. Richardson has 417 yards in just two games, which puts him eighth in the country. Had Colorado played its game against Fresno State (which was postponed due to flooding), it’s likely we’d see Richardson toward the top with Cooks. As for the Buffs in general, we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. They still have a long way to go. But you can definitely see an air of confidence about this team that’s been lacking the last couple of seasons.

Biggest disappointment: Head’s: Oregon State's defense. Tails: USC's offense. Go ahead and flip. Either way, you're right. Both have been disappointing. Anytime a BCS conference team loses to an FCS team, it’s disappointing. Anytime one of the country’s proudest football institutions is averaging 22 points per game through four games, it’s disappointing. Anytime a team -- once ranked in the top 25 (I guess that actually applies to both schools) -- is allowing an average of more than 35 points per game, it’s disappointing. Both teams are 3-1. And probably counting their blessings that (1) USC's defense has been that good and (2) Oregon State's offense has been that good.

The Pac-12 has earned national respect during its nonconference schedule. The general consensus is that the conference, which boasts a 29-4 record in out-of-league play, ranks second to the SEC. And there are a few outliers crunching analytics who believe the Pac-12 is, in fact, No. 1.

The conference is elite at the top and boasts high quality from top to bottom. Heck, once-woeful Colorado beat a Colorado State team on a neutral field that took home-standing and top-ranked Alabama into the fourth quarter before yielding.

So let the record show that, on Sept. 22, folks thought pretty highly of the Pac-12.

Now that it's shined against the nation, what's the Pac-12 going to do to itself? That's the question as the conference schedule begins to heat up this week.

Will Oregon and Stanford get to their highly anticipated Nov. 7 clash unbeaten? You could make an argument for and against based on what has happened thus far. The Ducks and Cardinal have looked impressive, not unlike national title contenders. But the field also is much improved. Both get No. 16 Washington before their red-letter meeting. Both get No. 13 UCLA, too.

It will be extremely difficult to finish 9-0 in Pac-12 play, which is the only way to (practically) guarantee a berth in the national title game. On the other hand, a one-loss Pac-12 team might receive strong support as a first-among-equals when compared to other one-loss teams, if there aren't two unbeaten AQ conference teams at season's end.

And what about those seemingly second-tier teams, such as the Huskies and Bruins? Both seem capable of winning 10 games. Or winning just eight and still being pretty darn good.

The point is that the depth of the conference will make the nine-game conference schedule even more arduous than in years past. UCLA and Washington might be top-10 or top-15 teams in terms of true quality, but their final records might not make that obvious. And you can't count on East Coast voters to recall where things stood entering the final weekend of September.

Two games stand out this week. The winner of USC's visit to Arizona State might reclaim a national ranking. It also will notch a critical win in terms of the South Division pecking order. The loser will fall to 0-2 in conference play. That will be a really bad thing, though it's a good bet the eventual South champ will have two conference losses.

If the Trojans go down -- and they are underdogs -- coach Lane Kiffin's position might become untenable. The bye-week discussion would be more about who will replace him rather than a visit from Arizona on Oct. 12.

If the Sun Devils fall, it would bring to a skidding stop the positive vibe around the program that fed the entire offseason. The Sun Devils would head to Texas to play Notre Dame with the "Same Old ASU" tag hung around their necks.

Meanwhile, the Sun Devils' friends from Tucson, the Arizona Wildcats, will be introducing themselves to the season with a visit to Washington. Last year, the Wildcats manhandled the Huskies 52-17. While the Huskies should be motivated by that game film, Arizona has shown signs of being sneaky good, with a much-improved defense and a rugged running game.

It feels like a revealing matchup for both. The Wildcats are probably the Huskies' toughest opponent to date (yes, superior to Boise State, which lost to Fresno State on Friday), and an Arizona win over a ranked team would give the Wildcats credibility. And their own national ranking.

There also are a pair of "Don't go to sleep, Mr. Favorite" games.

Stanford will take on a vastly improved Washington State team in Seattle. The Cougars' defense ranks among the nation's leaders in just about every category, but Cardinal QB Kevin Hogan and the nation's best offensive line will provide a major challenge. The Stanford secondary also will be tested by Mike Leach's Air Raid attack, particularly if All-American safety Ed Reynolds is suspended due to his helmet-to-helmet hit against Arizona State.

Oregon State has shown it won't be able to take any foe for granted this year, so a visit from Colorado should inspire urgency, not expectations for an easy win. The Buffaloes might be rusty after two weeks off, or they might have a finely tuned game plan that will fluster the Beavers. A Buffs upset would reasonably inspire bowl talk in Boulder. If the Beavers hold serve, they arrive at a bye week they desperately need in order to get healthy, physically and mentally.

California at Oregon? It's difficult to imagine the Bears winning in Autzen Stadium. Sure, they've put up huge passing numbers, but this will be freshman QB Jared Goff's first road start. Autzen is not where you want to do that.

The Pac-12's ideal scenario at season's end is producing an unbeaten team playing for a national title, another top-10 team playing in the Rose Bowl, and three to five other ranked teams. It's reasonable to envision that playing out.

But it's also possible that the Pac-12 will eat itself alive, with a champion with two (or more) defeats, a scattering of underrated 8-4 teams and two or more 5-7 teams that aren't bowl-eligible.

This weekend, we'll start in earnest to see how things will play out. Buckle up.

Taking stock of Week 4 in the Pac-12.

Team of the week: While the Pac-12 blog has been hard on Stanford for giving up 21 unanswered points to Arizona State in the fourth quarter, the fact remains the Cardinal posted a two-touchdown win over a ranked team. And that first half showed folks why Stanford is a national title contender. Need to tighten some things up? Absolutely. But Stanford at its best has plenty of irresistible force and unmovable object to it.

Best game: Oregon State fans let out a massive, "Whew," after the Beavers overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit at San Diego State and won 34-30. While the game was far from pretty, it was a win, and the Beavers seem like a team right now that should just be grateful to collect one. Further, the weekend was otherwise devoid of nail-biters, though USC allowed Utah State to stay unnecessarily close.

Biggest play: Oregon State's defense has been mostly horrible, but it provided the winning margin against San Diego State when CB Steven Nelson returned an interception 16 yards for a TD with 2:31 remaining. The play might have saved the Beavers' season.

Offensive standout: Oregon State can't run the ball or play defense, but QB Sean Mannion can throw the rock around with WR Brandin Cooks. Mannion completed 38 of 55 passes for 367 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Beavers' comeback win over San Diego State. Cooks was his chief weapon, catching 14 passes for 141 yards.

Defensive standout: Utah State couldn't block USC DT Leonard Williams, who had eight tackles with three coming for a loss in the Trojans' 17-14 win over Chuckie Keeton and the Aggies. The Trojans held a previously potent offense to just 285 total yards.

Defensive standout II: Sure, it came against woeful Idaho, but Washington State DT Xavier Cooper dominated inside. Of his five total tackles, 3.5 came for a loss, including 1.5 sacks. He was a key part of a surging defense that held the Vandals to 253 total yards. LB Darryl Monroe, who led the Cougars with 12 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, also merits note.

Special-teams standout: Think you had a long Saturday? Utah punter Tom Hackett punted 11 times for the Utes against BYU, averaging 44.2 yards per boot with a long of 61 yards, though that one was returned 58 yards to the Utah 13. That's 486 yards of punting from the Australian! Three were downed inside the Cougars' 20-yard line. G'day to that.

Frowny face: USC and Oregon State were both ranked in the preseason but both appear to be significantly flawed. The Trojans can't do anything on offense, and the Beavers are struggling on defense. Hmm. Maybe if they combined forces we could generate another national title contender?

Smiley face: The Pac-12 is 29-4 in nonconference play, including 21-3 against FBS teams, with just three matchups with Notre Dame left to play. That is by far the most distinguished mark in the nation. Remember when the Mountain West Conference was -- rightfully -- talking smack about the Pac-12? Well, the Pac-12 is 10-0 versus the MWC this year.

Thought of the week: While the season is only hitting the quarter pole, we should learn a little about the conference's South Division contenders -- and pretenders -- this weekend. Arizona has played three overmatched foes and was off over the weekend. The visit to Washington should be revealing. We have no idea who the Wildcats really are. They seem much improved on defense and limited throwing the ball. A victory over the Huskies would thrust them into the top 25 and announce them as contenders in the South Division. Meanwhile, the Arizona State-USC game also seems to serve as a critical separation game in the South.

Questions for the week: Will Lane Kiffin's last stand be in the desert? If Kiffin and the Trojans prevail and improve to 4-1, Kiffin might buy himself some goodwill -- and top-25 votes. The season would still offer plenty of hope. If the Trojans lose, they will fall to 0-2 in the conference, a major hole in the division race. At that point, reporters covering the Trojans likely would start writing speculative articles about USC's next coach.

If you don't like where you are in the Power Rankings, play better.

See last week's Power Rankings here.

1. Oregon: When Stanford led Arizona State 39-7 after three quarters, it looked like the Cardinal would return to the top perch. But then Stanford yielded its killer instinct in the fourth, and the Sun Devils' rally keeps the Ducks No. 1.

2. Stanford: As dominant a first half against a good team as you could imagine. In fact, it's possible we're being too hard on Stanford because how well things went in the first half made the fourth quarter seem even worse than it was. Well, cry me a river.

3. UCLA: The Bruins go into the bye week still dealing with the emotions surrounding the death of a teammate, but they are playing very good football on both sides of the ball.

4. Washington: The Huskies' nonconference slate couldn't have turned out much better. A visit from Arizona will provide the first conference test. And the Huskies might be motivated by the whipping the Wildcats gave them last season in Tucson.

5. Arizona State: A bit difficult to get a handle on the Sun Devils. They deserve credit for the quality win over Wisconsin. And ridicule for the first half against Stanford. And credit for the strong fourth-quarter surge against the Cardinal. USC's visit, therefore, feels like a moment for far stronger and more decisive judgment.

6. Washington State: The Cougars' defense has been one of the season's biggest surprises, particularly the stout play of the front seven. That front seven will get a huge test in Seattle on Saturday against Stanford's offensive line.

7. Arizona: It seems like some Arizona fans believe their team has been cheated of coverage during the Wildcats' tour through the Little Sisters of the Poor nonconference schedule. Well, if the Wildcats post a quality win in Seattle, the media will refocus.

8. Oregon State: Beavers, Kevin wanted to demote you for your three horrid quarters at San Diego State. But his glass-half-full partner saw a gutty fourth quarter. Winning ugly feels a lot better than, well, losing to a supposedly overmatched foe ... as you know Beavs.

9. Utah: Ute fans (see ... not "Utes fans") are probably sitting back with a cold drink enjoying their dismissal of BYU. Yes, the gloating will be thick, as it should be after winning your fourth consecutive Holy War in advance of a two-year rivalry hiatus. And 3-1, after all, meets fairly optimistic preseason expectations. But, Utah, you are still 0-1 in Pac-12 play. Enjoy the off week. Then buckle your chin strap tight and prove yourselves in conference play. Up next is UCLA on Oct. 3. Then Stanford.

10. USC: Well, the defense still looks good. And Utah State is a solid team. But, man, Lane Kiffin's Trojans just seem determined not to play to their talent potential on offense. The visit to Arizona State likely sets the trajectory for the season. A loss would probably end South Division hopes. And maybe all hope.

11. Colorado: Colorado has been off for two weeks, so it will be interesting to see if the Buffaloes show some rust at Oregon State. Little Colorado has seen on film from the Beavers, particularly on defense, should make the Buffs think they can't win in Corvallis. And if that happens, Colorado can start using the "B" word. As in bowl (did I need to clarify that?).

12. California: Cal should be well-rested after a bye week. The good news is ... oh. Urp. Oregon. Autzen Stadium. A second consecutive top-five team. A third ranked team. Who put Sonny Dykes' first schedule together ... Mephistopheles?

Due to the Pac-12's depth this year, it's difficult to project bowls at all.

But that won't stop us from doing so!

VIZIO BCS National Championship: Oregon vs. BCS
Rose Bowl Game Presented by VIZIO: Stanford vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo Bowl: UCLA vs. Big 12
Holiday Bowl: Washington vs. Big 12
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. ACC
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona vs. MWC
Fight Hunger Bowl: Washington State vs. BYU
Gildan New Mexico Bowl: USC State vs. MWC
Pinstripe Bowl: Oregon State vs. American
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Utah vs. Conference USA

A look at what we learned about the Pac-12 in Week 4.

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AP Photo/Marcio Jose SanchezStanford made short work of Arizona State on Saturday, showing that the Sun Devils aren't quite ready to compete with the Pac-12 elite.
1. The Pac-12 might be the deepest conference: The league wrapped up the majority of its nonconference slate with an impressive 29-4 record, including a mark of 21-3 against FBS teams. With Oregon State’s win over San Diego State and USC’s victory over Utah State, the Pac-12 moves to 10-0 this season against the Mountain West -- a lower-level conference that gave the league fits last season. Some wins were spectacular, some weren’t. But the fact that only Cal had a sub-.500 record out of conference speaks volumes about the league's depth. And even those two losses came against top-25 teams.
2. Arizona State isn’t there yet: After last week’s controversial ending against Wisconsin, the Sun Devils were eager to show that they were worthy of their top-25 ranking. But trailing 39-7, ASU simply didn't look like a team ready to contend with a top-five team on the road. Give it credit for fighting back and scoring 28 second-half points. It's not hard to imagine previous ASU teams throwing in the proverbial towel. And the Sun Devils still should be considered contenders for the Pac-12 South. We’ll know more when they host USC next week, but for now, the Sun Devils look more like a second-tier Pac-12 team than a group that could challenge Stanford and/or Oregon.
3. Apples good, potatoes bad (at least in football): Combined points for Washington and Washington State in Week 4: 98. Combined points for Idaho and Idaho State in Week 4: 0. Granted, this wasn’t the stiffest of competition. But Washingtonians from Aberdeen to Yakima to Pullman can feel pretty good about the state of football in their state. The Huskies have scored 34 points for three straight games for the first time since 2002. They posted their first shutout since 2009 and the margin of victory was the largest since beating Oregon 66-0 in 1974. And yes, it was very cool seeing Deontae Cooper get his first career touchdown. For the Cougars, it was their first shutout since 2005 -- which also came against Idaho. The defense posted a season-high five sacks.
4. A W is a W: While Washington, Washington State and UCLA cruised to easy wins, Oregon State, Utah and USC needed all four quarters to get the job done. Of course, there were different reasons for all three. Utah was playing a rivalry game against a team receiving top 25 votes. It was a hard-fought game and a solid victory for the Utes (you’re really going to throw a flag on Eric Rowe? For all the extra shoves and questionably late hits that went on in that game, that’s what gets the flag!?), USC was facing an extremely dangerous quarterback in Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton. But they sacked him four times for minus-15 rushing yards and kept him to just 179 yards in the air. The USC offense, however, continues to be a work in progress. And then there’s the Beavers ... oh, those Beavers. Credit them for coming from behind late to beat San Diego State. But don't lose sight of the fact that they had to come from behind late to beat San Diego State. Sean Mannion had another monster game, and Brandin Cooks had another monster game. But the defense and the running game continue to be issues that will get exposed if the Beavers can't fix them as they get deeper into conference play.
5. We can start thinking about league play! There’s only three “official” nonconference games left, and they all involve Notre Dame (still waiting on the possibility of Colorado and Fresno State rescheduling). But by this time next week, every team except UCLA will have played a conference game. Of the three league games we’ve had so far, the North has gone 3-0 against the South, with Washington State, Oregon State and Stanford all getting victories over USC, Utah and Arizona State, respectively. Next week we get some intra-division showdowns between USC and ASU, California and Oregon and Stanford and Washington State in Seattle. But it’s the inter-division matchups that are very intriguing. Undefeated Arizona travels to undefeated Washington -- where we’ll learn a little bit more about the Wildcats. And a confident Colorado team visits Oregon State in a game that seemed like a sure thing for the Beavers a month ago.