Colorado reverted to its losing ways and Oregon may have become the Pac-12 favorite. For more on that and a rundown of everything in between, check out our Week 8 roundup:
We’re already through eight weeks.
Eight weeks into Pac-12 football and things have become more clear.
Colorado? The Buffs couldn’t sustain momentum following last week’s overtime win over Cal in Boulder. Colorado traveled north to Corvallis to face a good Oregon State team and between an inability to stop an already strong Beavers rushing attack — including allowing a career-high 178 yards and three touchdowns to Damien Martinez — and a listless showing from the Pac-12’s worst offense, the Buffs lost 42-9 and fell to 1-6 on the season. The Beavers, meanwhile, improved to 6-2 and became bowl eligible.
The lower tier of the conference maintained its status quo, as Stanford (3-4, 1-4 Pac-12) beat Arizona State (2-5, 1-3), 15-14, in a slog of a game in Palo Alto. Between an ongoing NCAA investigation, a mass exodus of assistants and a home loss to Eastern Michigan that led to the firing of Herm Edwards, the season has never been great for the Sun Devils and it didn’t improve on Saturday.
The game between Cal (3-4, 1-3) and Washington (6-2, 3-2) in northern California was a surprisingly great game.
[lawrence-related id=12399,12395,12343,12341,12288]
Cal kept it close against a quality Huskies team until the fourth quarter, where two quick touchdowns broke a deadlock and gave Washington a 28-14 lead with 10:19 remaining. The Golden Bears fought back, though, as an 80-yard drive ending with an 8-yard touchdown catch by Mavin Anderson cut the Washington lead down to 28-21 with 6:11 left.
Cal got the ball back late with a chance to send it to overtime but fell short on a fourth-and-2 from Washington’s 42 with 28 seconds left.
The game of the day coming in was up in Eugene with then-No. 9 UCLA (6-1, 3-1) visiting then-No. 10 Oregon (6-1, 4-0) in a game with both Pac-12 and national implications. Would it live up to the hype, though?
Not really.
UCLA’s offense put on a good showing and continued to show why it’s a threat, but between an onside kick recovery by Oregon early in the second quarter — leading to an Oregon touchdown to make it 24-10 Ducks — and Bo Nix dicing up a leaky UCLA secondary to the tune of 283 yards and five touchdowns on 22-of-28 passing, to go along with 51 yards on the ground, Oregon established itself as the favorite in the Pac-12.
UCLA needs to regroup after its first loss of the season, but the Bruins still find themselves in the three-team race for the Pac-12 title with the aforementioned Oregon and USC. As it stands now, the USC-UCLA game on Nov. 19 could determine the final spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
It was mostly a status quo week in the Pac with some surprises mixed in, and with Oregon staking its claim to the top of the pecking order, we head down the home stretch with the end of October upon us.
Enjoy the show.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
[listicle id=12292]
