Conference Title Chase Update: PAC-12

PAC-12 Conference

Still In the Hunt: Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Washington State, USC, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, UCLA

Elimination Mode: California, Oregon State, Arizona State

Stanford: The Cardinal won last night in Tempe, beating Arizona State 20-13. That keeps them firmly in the race in the North, but the PAC-12 is the lone conference in FBS football where there are no longer any unbeaten teams in conference play. Stanford will be in a huge battle over the next 2 weeks, however, as they have Washington State and Washington in back to back weeks. They could stay in the race with a split, but they would need some help.

Washington: The Huskies have the edge when it comes to being favored over Stanford when they play, and they wrap with Washington State in the finale, but when they were defeated by Oregon last weekend, it showed the Huskies to be vulnerable. Colorado should not be an easy win this week either, and the spread is too high in favor of Washington. Cal and Oregon State are the only 2 outright wins left on the slate.

Oregon: The Ducks have split against Stanford and Washington already, and a win against Washington State this weekend would give the Ducks the easiest path of the contenders in the North. The toughest remaining game is a road trip to Utah on November 10. Every other game remaining looks like an outright win.

Washington State: The Cougars have the toughest road remaining in the North, as they have to play Oregon this week, and still have Stanford and Washington. The Cougars also have a trip to Colorado on the slate as well. The Cougars have a loaded path remaining, so they have the longest shot on the board to win the Division.

USC: The trip to Utah this week is the toughest remaining game left for the Trojans this season. Every other conference game is winnable, not including the non con finale against Notre Dame, which may be a taller task, but that game is a spoiler game for USC on the national level at this point, and is largely irrelevant in every other area.

Colorado: Losing to the Trojans on the road last week was hurtful for the Buffs. A trip to Seattle this weekend should be fairly brutal, and Washington State and Utah remain on the schedule after the Washington game. The odds are stacked against them.

Utah: The Utes lost twice in conference play early, so the deck is already stacked, and another loss would put them out of the race. That means that beating USC in SLC this week is imperative. If the Utes can get by this week, they still have games against Oregon and Colorado left. There are several challenges left for Utah, but they are heating up at exactly the right time.

Arizona: The Wildcats are, strangely enough, still in the race in the South, but they need some serious outside help to stay in it. There is an elimination game against UCLA this weekend that is a must win, but they have to do it on the road and without Khalil Tate. The next 3 weeks are brutal, with Oregon, Colorado, and Washington State following up this week's game.

UCLA: UCLA has won just one game all season, but because of the league beating itself up, the Bruins still have a path to the South title, as unrealistic as that would seem. The Bruins have to beat Arizona this week, and still have Utah, Oregon, USC, and Stanford left on the slate. The Bruins are dogs in every one of those games, and will likely be out of the bowl schedule for the second straight year.

Bowl Eligible: None

Bowl Eligible With Next Win: Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Washington State, Colorado

Bowl Ineligible: None

Bowl Ineligible With Next Loss: None

Coaches on the Hot Seat: None

Top Week 8 Games: Colorado at Washington; Oregon at Washington State; USC at Utah; Arizona at UCLA