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Best of the West: USC remains on top as Oregon, UCLA and San Jose State climb

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Every week, the Hotline ranks the perfect main faculty soccer groups throughout the western third of the nation — not solely the Pac-12 however the Mountain West and Independents — utilizing a components that’s partly results-oriented and partly subjective.

We are going to publish the same rating as soon as the basketball season begins, incorporating the highest groups from the West Coast Convention, Huge West, Huge Sky and Western Athletic, as properly.

Right here’s our evaluation by means of the outcomes of Week Six …

1. USC (6-0/4-0 Pac-12)
Final week: 1
End result: beat Washington State 30-14
Subsequent up: at Utah (5 p.m. on Fox)
Line: USC +3.5
Remark: USC’s protection is twenty sixth within the nation in factors allowed (18.7 per sport) however sixty fourth in yards-per-play allowed (5.46). The disparity is well accounted for: The Trojans bend, bend, bend, then create a turnover. Their 15 takeaways are tops within the Energy 5.

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2. Oregon (5-1/3-0 Pac-12)
Final week: 3
End result: gained at Arizona 49-22
Subsequent up: idle (Oct. 22: vs. UCLA)
Line: N/A
Remark: The working sport is spectacular sufficient (242 yards per sport) that we sought perspective — and located some: Through the heyday of the Chip Kelly period, the Geese had been averaging 300 per sport.

3. UCLA (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12)
Final week: 6
End result: beat Utah 42-32
Subsequent up: idle (Oct. 22 at Oregon)
Line: N/A
Remark: Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is one victory and one first-rate efficiency from turning into a severe Heisman Trophy contender. And the protection standing in his method would be the finest he faces all season.

4. Brigham Younger (4-2)
Final week: 4
End result: misplaced to Notre Dame (in Las Vegas) 28-20
Subsequent up: vs. Arkansas (12:30 p.m. on ESPN)
Line: Brigham Younger +1.5
Remark: The craziest stat final weekend in Las Vegas wasn’t Notre Dame’s edge in possession time (40:55 to 19:05). It was every workforce solely having one assessed penalty.

5. Washington State (4-2/1-2 Pac-12)
Final week: 5
End result: misplaced at USC 30-14
Subsequent up: at Oregon State (6 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks)
Line: Washington State +3.5
Remark: Cougars on tempo for 98 tackles-for-loss this season, which might be simply 5 shy of the entire recorded by the ‘Velocity D’ that powered the 2017 workforce to 9 wins and the Vacation Bowl.

6. Utah (4-2/2-1 Pac-12)
Final week: 2
End result: misplaced at UCLA 42-32
Subsequent up: vs USC (5 p.m. on Fox)
Line: Utah -3.5
Remark: With a lot give attention to the season-ending damage to tight finish Brant Kuithe, it’s straightforward to neglect the Utes are additionally with out graduated slot receiver Britain Covey. They mixed for a mere 102 catches and 9 touchdowns final 12 months.

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7. San Jose State (4-1/2-0 Mountain West)
Final week: 10
End result: beat UNLV 40-7
Subsequent up: at Fresno State (7:45 p.m. on FS1/2)
Line: San Jose State -8.5
Remark: For the first-place Spartans, whose solely loss is to Auburn, it’s starting to look lots just like the 2020 season, besides with out the, um, pandemic.

8. Washington (4-2/1-2 Pac-12)
Final week: 7
End result: misplaced at Arizona State 45-38
Subsequent up: vs Arizona (2:30 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks)
Line: Washington -14.5
Remark: Huskies on tempo to exceed their complete passing yards for 2021 earlier than Halloween arrives, which says lots about Kalen DeBoer’s offense … and about John Donovan’s offense final 12 months.

9. Oregon State (4-2/1-2 Pac-12)
Final week: Not ranked
End result: gained at Stanford 28-27
Subsequent up: vs. Washington State (6 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks)
Line: Oregon State -3.5
Remark: Discover a strategy to beat WSU for the primary time since 2013, and there’s a path to at the very least eight wins. The hardest video games are within the rearview mirror, aside from the finale.

10. Boise State (4-2/3-0 Mountain West)
Final week: Not ranked
End result: beat Fresno State 40-20
Subsequent up: idle (Oct. 22: at Air Drive)
Line: N/A
Remark: Broncos averaging 37.5 factors within the two video games since they fired offensive coordinator Tim Plough and handed the playbook over to Dirk Koetter, the previous Boise State (and NFL) head coach.


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*** Ship solutions, feedback and suggestions (confidentiality assured) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or name 408-920-5716

*** Comply with me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline isn’t endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Convention, and the views expressed herein don’t essentially mirror the views of the Convention.





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