Pac-12 Power Rankings: Oregon Ducks, Stanford Cardinal Claim Top Spots

Another wild week in the books for the Pac-12, and the conference looks as deep and as talented as it has in years. Five teams are ranked in the Top 25, including No. 3 Oregon and No. 9 Stanford. USC stumbled over the weekend, but they remain in the hunt for a possible conference championship. Arizona, UCLA and Washington took care of business against inferior opponents, while ASU and California suffered tough road losses.

Here is an updated look at the Pac-12 following week three.

1. Oregon Ducks (3-0)

Oregon is still yet to play anybody, but they are just so fast on both sides of the ball that it's tough to imagine anyone hanging with them for a full 60 minutes. They face their first challenge of the season next week when No. 21 Arizona comes to town. The Ducks are now ranked 3rd in the AP Poll.

2. Stanford Cardinal (3-0)

Who needs Andrew Luck? The Cardinal looked great against the Trojans over the weekend, especially star tailback Stepfan Taylor. They are now ranked 9th in the nation. Stanford will need to refocus quickly this week as a tough road trip to Washington looms.

3. USC Trojans (2-1)

There were warning signs entering this game for the Trojans, and the team was really exposed in the second half once starters began wearing down. There is still hope for a BCS birth this season, although Lane Kiffin and his coaching staff have a lot of work to do. USC has dropped to 13th in the AP Poll.

4. UCLA Bruins (3-0)

The Bruins took care of business against Houston, winning handily in blowout fashion. An interesting test now arrives as Oregon State comes to down, who has played just one game this season. UCLA is ranked 19th in the AP Poll.

5. Arizona Wildcats (3-0)

The Wildcats continued to look good on both sides of the ball against lowly South Carolina State, winning 56-0. Just about everything has gone as well as RichRod could have hoped for, although the schedule will get much tougher next week as the team travels to Oregon. UA is ranked 22nd in the AP Poll.

6. Washington Huskies (2-1)

The Huskies got back on track this weekend after suffering a drubbing at the hands of LSU. The team has now beaten up on two cupcakes and was blown out by what might be the best team in the country. We will learn what UW is made of the next four weeks as four ranked opponents loom, including Stanford next weekend in Seattle.

Related: Check out last week's Pac-12 Power Rankings.

7. Utah Utes (2-1)

The Utes pulled out a nice win over BYU, although two missed kicks at the end of regulation were needed to avoid overtime. The offense looked good under quarterback Jon Hayes, who is the key to their success this season. They'll head to Tempe to take on Arizona State next weekend.

8. Arizona St. Sun Devils (2-1)

After beating up on mediocre competition the first two weeks, ASU lost to a Missouri team that did not have their starting quarterback, three offensive linemen and best linebacker. Granted they were playing in a hostile road environment, but the turnovers (4) and execution around the goal line are a cause for concern. The Devils will look to rebound at home against Utah next.

9. Oregon St. Beavers (1-0)

We still really don't know much about the Beavers. They've played just one game, and while their win over Wisconsin was big at the time, the Badgers haven't exactly looked very good this season. A big road test against UCLA is set for next weekend.

10. California Golden Bears (1-2)

The Bears probably deserved to beat Ohio State over the weekend, but they were unable to execute late and ended up falling by a touchdown. Jeff Tedford and his staff did a nice job getting their team ready for the hostile road environment, although it's still a loss at the end of the day. A tough visit to USC awaits the Bears on Saturday.

11. Washington St. Cougars (2-1)

The Cougars struggled to put away winless UNLV on the road, and the defense is yet to play very well. WSU will begin conference play next week when Colorado comes to town.

12. Colorado Buffaloes (0-3)

It's tough to see Colorado winning more than a game or two this season, if that.

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