Pac-12 Power Rankings Week 14: Oregon and Arizona the clear frontrunners

Regular season action in the Pac-12 concluded this week with every team throughout the league in action. Arizona was the team of the week, using three Nick Wilson touchdowns to sneak by Arizona State, 45-38. The Wildcats will now face Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game, with an outside shot at making the College Football Playoff if they upset the Ducks.

Here's a look at the rest of the conference:

1. Oregon (11-1, 8-1)

The Ducks remain on top after cruising to a 47-19 win over Oregon State in Corvallis. Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more against an overmatched Beaver defense. Now Oregon turns its focus to the Pac-12 title game against Arizona. A win there and it's on to the playoff.

2. Arizona (10-2, 7-2)

After barely getting by teams like Texas-San Antonio, Nevada, and California, Arizona has found their stride late in the season. The Wildcats dominated Utah on the road last week before getting a huge rivalry win over ASU on Friday. They have now put themselves in position to sneak into the four-team playoff with a win against Oregon, but they need some help from other teams across the country as well.

3. USC (8-4, 6-3)

Just when we had left it for dead, USC rose up and turned in arguably its best performance of the year on Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. Quarterback Cody Kesller threw for six touchdowns in just three quarters as the Trojans rolled Notre Dame, 49-14. They now await their bowl destination, which will likely keep them in-state to either the Holiday or Foster Farms bowls.

4. Stanford (7-5, 5-4)

The Cardinal are the biggest movers of the week following a dominating win at the Rose Bowl against what was thought to be a Pac-12 title game-bound UCLA team. Stanford scored 31 of the game's final 34 points after falling behind 7-0. While its record of 7-5 may not be impressive as others throughout the conference, do not overlook the fact that each loss came against a team that was ranked at the time. In addition, four of them came in games decided by two possessions or less.

5. Arizona State (9-3, 6-3)

While the regular season came to a disappointing loss for ASU on Friday in Tucson, the 2014 campaign should still be considered a success. Most came into the year expecting a rebuilding effort from Todd Graham and company, and instead they turned in a top 20 team with wins over USC, Stanford, and Utah. As far as bowl games go, the Sun Devils could go anywhere from the Alamo to the Foster Farms.

6. Utah (8-4, 5-4)

The usual stingy Utah defense had a terrible day in Boulder on Saturday, allowing 433 yards and 34 points against a bad Colorado team. The Utes managed to escape with a 38-34 win despite trailing by eight at halftime, and again by three heading into the fourth quarter.

7. UCLA (9-3, 6-3)

I forgot up until Friday just how bad the bad version of UCLA's team is. The same problems that plagued the Bruins in their bad wins against Virginia and Colorado showed up against Stanford, but the Cardinal actually made them pay for it. Similar to ASU, their bowl situation is up in the air as well. Who knows what team will show up for that game.

8. Washington (8-5, 4-5)

The Huskies hold steady here at No. 8 after a dominating Apple Cup win late Saturday night in frigid Pullman. Washington jumped out to a 31-0 lead and didn't allow a Washington State score until there were ten minutes remaining. Next up in all likelihood is a trip to Tempe for the Cactus Bowl.

9. California (5-7, 3-6)

With its loss to BYU on Saturday, California will be sitting at home for the holidays for a third straight season. The job that Sonny Dykes is doing in Berkeley should not be overlooked though. His "Bear Raid" offense is fifth in the nation in passing and the team was competitive in almost every game, including a terrific 3-2 road record. Those two losses came on a hail mary as time expired at Arizona and in an eight-point loss at USC. Things are definitely changing with this program.

10. Colorado (2-10, 0-9)

I was impressed by Colorado's valiant effort to get a conference win against Utah, and while the Buffaloes ended up falling short, I'm moving them up to No. 10. Junior running back Christian Powell had a career day, rushing for three touchdowns and 75 yards on only ten carries. I expect this team to go bowling in 2015.

11. Oregon State (5-7, 2-7)

The Beavers were unable to shock rival Oregon in the Civil War, meaning they will also be missing out on a postseason trip this year. Expect some changes to the coaching staff in Corvallis this offseason.

The Cougars appeared to be finding some momentum towards the end of the season, but all of that came to a halt in Saturday's loss against Washington. Their defense needs some major improvements if they want to make a bowl next year.