Unofficial Pac-10 Power Rankings, Week 6

1. Oregon
6-0 (3-0 Pac-10)
LW: 1
The Ducks came away with a win over Wazzu last weekend, but it wasn’t the blowout everyone was expecting. Pac-10 parity. Still the top team, but is the gap narrowing on both ends.

2. Stanford
5-1 (2-1)
LW: 2
Down to the wire against the Trojans, but man did you see that hit Andrew Luck laid on the USC defensive player who picked up the fumble? THAT is some serious football.

3. Oregon State
3-2 (2-0)
LW: 5
The Beavers look like the best two-loss team in the country right now with losses against the #3 and #6 teams in the land, and a win at former Top 10 team Arizona. Up next, a trip to Seattle to take on Washington. The question is which Husky team shows up: the one that beat USC in Los Angeles, or the one that lost to ASU at home?

4. Arizona
4-1 (1-1)
LW: 3
The Wildcats quest for a Pac-10 championship and first ever Rose Bowl berth took a bit of a detour on Saturday with their loss to the Beavers. They get a chance to get back on track this week against the Cougars. But are the Cougars the doormat we all thought they were?

5. USC
4-2 (1-2)
LW: 4
Two weeks, two straight losses on last minute field goals. The Trojans’ defense just can’t seem to make a stop when it counts. Can they stop the Bears? 200+ rushing yards a game for Cal, could be tough.

6. ASU
3-3 (1-1)
LW: 8
After three straight losses, things were starting to look bleak for the Sun Devils, who need 7 wins to be bowl eligible after two games against 1-AA. In the driving rain of a Seattle night, they stepped up, topping the Dawgs 24-14 at home. Still, they need 4 out of the next 6 games. On the plus side, they’ve already played Oregon.

7. Cal
3-2 (1-1)
LW: 9
Cal won the battle of the UC’s and in commanding fashion after a 1 point loss to Arizona the week before. Still, it’s Cal, so who knows what will happen from week to week. Next week, a trip down to L.A. to take on the Trojans. If recent history is any indicator, they’ll win on a last second field goal.

8. Washington
2-3 (1-1)
LW: 7
Lose, win, lose, win, lose. If the pattern holds, the Huskies will beat Oregon State next week. Last week’s loss seems to have due been in part to a subpar Locker, who had battled illness all week, but that bodes ill for the Huskies, who need something more than Locker to win games.

9. UCLA
3-3 (1-2)
LW: 6
Nothing like a Bruin loss to take away some of the sting of my teams losing this week. Was that Texas victory a fluke? With games against Oregon, Arizona and Oregon State coming up, it looks like the Bruins will need this week’s bye, especially after losing a couple players for the Oregon game.

10. Washington State
1-5 (0-3)
LW: 10
OK, is it just me or does this Cougar team actually look improved? I mean, this is two weeks in a row that the Cougars were in the game. They had a lead in the 3rd quarter against UCLA before giving up 21 points, and they led the Ducks in the first quarter and were within 2 until the Ducks pulled away in the 4th. On the other hand, both games were following big wins by their opponents, so it could just be a bit of a letdown game that the bottom dwelling Cougars couldn’t capitalize on. No such luck with Arizona coming to town after their loss to Oregon State.