By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports
It was a reasonably good week for the four teams from the West in the Pac-12 and ACC.
Cal and Stanford rebounded with wins over Boston College and San Jose State, respectively, while Washington State did the same against Colorado State.
Oregon State was not as fortunate, losing to Houston in the last few minutes despite playing well.
Here’s my take on all four teams heading into Week 6.
Comeback victory keeps California in thick of ACC title hunt
Cal came close to a program-defining loss last week, but snuck away with a victory against Boston College at the last second.
Luke Ferrelli made a game-saving pick on the five-yard line, with the Eagles driving for the game-winning touchdown.
It was way too close for comfort, but still a victory to start ACC play.
The Golden Bears need Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele to continue to be the man going forward. He has provided a spark to a Cal program that felt dead a few months ago.
They’ll also need Kendrick Raphael to play more consistently. Raphael has rushed for less than 50 yards three times, but also has two 100-yard-plus outings.
Trond Grizzell will need to continue to perform as the schedule gets more difficult.
The Bears had every reason to fold after their loss to San Diego State, but they’ve kept their season viable. Cal’s next three matchups should all prove winnable, but who really knows?
The bottom line is they still have a chance to win the ACC.
With improvement on defense, Stanford could surprise some teams
Stanford got a nice victory against San Jose State last week, making a 12-point comeback against the Spartans in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game.
Ben Gulbranson put the Tree on his shoulders and willed the team to victory.
If the transfer QB can play like this moving into the ACC slate, Stanford could surprise some teams. His passing yards have gone up in each of the first five games.
The Cardinal are 1-1 in the ACC, and this feels like a well-timed bye.
Stanford got a feel-good victory, but it needs to play better. The Tree’s pass defense ranks 132nd nationally, allowing 315 yards per game, and last week, they continued this trend, with SJSU throwing for 473 yards.
They need to address this during the off-week, as SMU has the 27th-best pass offense in the nation. Stanford travels to Dallas next and then hosts Florida State.
If the Cardinal split these games it’d be paramount before they travel to Miami.
Win over Colorado State could be first step toward potential bowl bid
Washington State had a huge win against Colorado State on Saturday. For the Cougars, this win was probably a lot bigger than most realize.
WSU now sits at a 3-2 with no terrible losses. The score of North Texas was awful, but losing on the road to an undefeated team isn’t bad. It feels like WSU’s starting to get an identity under Jimmy Rogers.
The defense struggled against North Texas and Washington, but has proven consistent against lesser competition. They’ve only allowed 23 points in their three victories.
The Cougs have also found their running game for the first time this season, and rank 132nd nationally in rushing yards per game. They’ll need production on the ground if they want to compete in the weeks ahead.
Ever since Zevi Eckhaus took over as the starting quarterback, WSU has felt different. Even in the Apple Cup, he provided a lift.
Washington State has a bye this week before back-to-back difficult road trips against Ole Miss and Virginia. If the Cougars could get a split, they’d be in a solid spot for a bowl game.
The Beavers are in a tough spot, but the road ahead gets easier
Oregon State is in a tougher spot than they were a week ago.
It felt like they outplayed Houston, but came away with another loss in the end. If the Beavers still had any hopes of making a bowl game, this narrowed them considerably.
The good thing for OSU is their schedule gets a lot easier. They travel to Boone to face App State, and then host Wake Forest the following week.
If the Beavs played the same way they did against UH, they could win both of these matchups. And it’d give them life for a soft back end to their schedule.
Maalik Murphy needs to play better, but he also has a small injury—something to look out for. Anthony Hankerson has been as advertised, but if Cornell Hatcher Jr. can provide production, they could have a nice one-two punch.
Trent Walker continues to do his thing.
Two tough losses against Fresno State and Houston, has Oregon State’s record looking worse than it actually is. They just gotta find a way to win the next two, their schedule gets easier by the day.
Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.