By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
The landscape of college football in the West changed this weekend.
Oregon lost a game it never should have lost, raising serious concerns about the team’s ceiling. At the same time, USC put itself back in the conversation with a convincing win over Michigan.
And Utah reminded everyone why they must be considered when talking about the best teams in the region.
Here’s how I view the Top 10 Teams in the West heading into Week Eight.
1. Oregon (2-1, 5-1) ◄►
That was a terrible loss. No matter how you cut it, Oregon should never lose to Indiana in Eugene.
The number in front of Indiana’s name doesn’t matter. This is Oregon football. And you just lost to the Hoosiers at Autzen. Gross.
The Ducks were outplayed and outcoached. It’s an unacceptable result that dampens the expectations moving forward.
What’s UO’s best win this season? A victory over Northwestern?
2. Utah (2-1, 5-1) ▲2
Utah has delivered back-to-back statement wins.
After absolutely crushing West Virginia on the road and then embarrassing Arizona State in Salt Lake City, the team has clearly moved on from the defeat to Texas Tech.
Heading into the Holy War this week, momentum is on the side of the
Utes. Beat BYU in Provo, and the Playoff chances will become real.
3. BYU (3-0, 6-0) ◄►
Unless you want to sit here and tell me Arizona is actually a good team (Spoiler Alert: They’re not), then you can’t complain about this week’s ranking.
It shouldn’t have taken double overtime to beat the Wildcats. Plain and simple.
The coaching staff, players, and the fans who traveled to Tucson deserve credit for pulling off the comeback.
But I was there in person for the ultimate eye test. And I can tell you without hesitation: BYU did not look as good as its record indicates.
4. USC (3-1, 5-1) ▲2
Margins of victory are the ultimate response to concerns about the trajectory of a season. And USC delivered against Michigan.
The spread was just a field goal, and the Trojans won by 18.
Now sitting at 5-1, the dynamic has changed. But the matchup with Notre Dame is another test. It’s quite possible that the Wolverines were just laughably overrated, and the Irish will beat USC handily.
Or maybe the Trojans are actually legit.
5. Washington (2-1, 5-1) ◄►
It’s fair to say that Washington is being overlooked and undervalued. I’m not going to argue with you about that, because you’re right.
But there’s a reason why, and it’s because of the schedule. The team has just two wins over Power Conference opponents entering Week Seven. Rutgers and Maryland are not exactly football powerhouses, either.
But the Dawgs’ time will come. The offense is elite, and the defense is good enough.
Just keep stacking wins.
6. Arizona State (2-1, 4-2) ▼4
The injury to Sam Leavitt shatters the perception of the team. Arizona State couldn’t do anything on offense without him.
Kenny Dillingham characterized Leavitt’s status as “week to week,” arguably making him doubtful for this Saturday’s matchup with Texas Tech.
A second loss in conference play wouldn’t officially eliminate ASU from contention, but it would stack the deck against the team.
It just goes to show how important Leavitt is to Arizona State’s success.
7. UNLV (2-0, 6-0) ◄►
UNLV is undefeated and controls its own destiny. In most other years, that would give the Rebels more respect.
But because the Mountain West has been completely overshadowed by the American Conference this year, it is what it is.
The team’s regional perception is also hurt by the consistently narrow margins of victory. If UNLV was crushing teams the way Boise State has done in years past, the respect would be higher.
UNLV will likely need to win out in order to be in true contention for the Playoff.
8. San Diego State (2-0, 5-1) ▲2
San Diego State looks like the best team in the Mountain West. The wide margins of victory are exactly what the team needs to gain respect. And the Aztecs keep delivering.
But what happened last week or the weeks before doesn’t matter. The remaining schedule is the toughest for any team in the MWC.
If SDSU can run through this gauntlet unscathed, there’s a small chance they end up as the highest-ranked Group of Five champion.
But it’s one step at a time.
9. Boise State (2-0, 4-2) ▲NR
The cream always rises to the top. Boise State is a good program and will always find its way back.
Both losses on the year are to teams currently ranked in the Top 25. And this week provides the ultimate opportunity to deliver a message.
The Broncos have owned UNLV since joining the Mountain West, going 8-0 against the Rebels since 2011.
Beating them in the final year in the Conference would send a clear signal.
10. Arizona (1-2, 4-2) ▼2
There are two ways to look at the current state of Arizona football.
On one hand, the team is clearly improved from last season. But what happened at Arizona Stadium on Saturday night brings back that cold, familiar, haunting feeling: This is Arizona football.
Never able to get over the hump. Never able to develop a dedicated fanbase. Never able to maintain relevancy.
From coaching mistakes to poor execution, it all came together in the fourth quarter collapse. And no one in Tucson is surprised that it happened. At all.
Dropped Out: Fresno State
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.