Pac-12 super power rankings – Washington rewarded, Colorado rising

Sep 1, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cheerleaders perform during the game against the Colorado State Rams in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Buffaloes defeated the Rams 41-27. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Somehow ‘Power’ has become the gold standard in how we name our rankings. Kind of weird if you ask me. But we’re just going to one-up that one…

Welcome to our first installment of the Pac-12 Super Power Rankings! Boom!

Here at Glory Colorado, we believe a team should be ranked based on it’s on-field performance, not how many blue-chippers take the field or how many games it won in 2012.

Therefore, with the much talked about surprising and controversial pick, the best team in the Pac-12 after one week of football is……

1. Washington!!! (1-0)

This Week: Washington 38, Boise State 6

YEAAAAHHHH DAWGS!

Do I think Washington is the most talented team in the Pac-12? No I do not.

But on Saturday, the Huskies took that team that plays on a blue field somewhere it hasn’t been in years; THE WOODSHED.

Am I a jaded Buffs fan still healing from former Boise coach Dan Hawkins’ tenure in Boulder? Sure I am.

Is this post partly out of anger for those who say Boise Friggin State would have been a better addition to the Pac-12 than the University of Colorado at Boulder? Um… Yes.

But I can’t stand Boise State. Okay, so I get that no good team wants to go to Boise anymore. And maybe their goofball plays that beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl were gutsy and awesome. And there’s a chance I’m a sucker for Ian Johnson’s postgame marriage proposal. BUT, if you want respect as a national title contender, you need to play more than one BCS school a year, which the Broncos don’t. And you certainly can’t play Tennessee-Martin, which they do tomorrow. Can’t get more good teams to play you at home? Get on a plane.

ANYWAYS… Welcome back Keith Price. That dude lining up under center looked a lot more like the one we saw in 2011 than 2012.

And how about that Dawg D? Holding Boise to 6!?!? Impressive.

It was one heck of a way to open up Washington’s new stadium, the Pac-12 win of the week, and good enough for me to put the Washington Huskies on top of the Pac-12 world.

2. Stanford (0-0)

This Week: A week of unneeded rest

Okay. So the Glory Colorado power rankings aren’t ALL performance based. But I think Stanford’s loaded (and kind of smart). I also think…

3. Oregon (1-0)

This Week: Oregon 66, The equivalent of a solid high school team 3

…Nicholls State is the worst team a Pac-12 program will play this season. It’s one thing to play an FCS team, which many Pac-12ers are this season, but Nicholls State is about as bad as it gets.

Like 2-20 in the last two seasons bad.

And considering the Colonels haven’t won more than seven games since 1986, and they hail from Thibodaux, Louisiana, it’s a…. umm….. weird scheduling move by Oregon.

But Oregon did take care of business, as I expect they will when they head to ACC country this week to demoralize Virginia.

4. UCLA (1-0)

This Week: UCLA 58, Nevada 20

Nevada did lose head coach Chris Ault, legend and inventor the Pistol (my new favorite offense), but it’s a quality football program that we last saw losing a thriller to Arizona (49-48) in the New Mexico Bowl.

UCLA is talented. Mora is a great coach. Hundley is a great quarterback. And Jordon James looked verrrry capable of replacing Jonathan Franklin, rushing for 155 yards on 21 carries.

This was an absolute BEATDOWN. The Bruins are good.

I can’t wait to see them trounce those poor kids who have to go to school (and live!) in Nebraska on the 14th.

5. Arizona (1-0)

This Week: Zona 35, Northern Zona Goose Egg

The Cats thumped Northern Arizona like they should. The unsettled quarterback competition is unsettling, but Zona should take care of business at UNLV this week.

P.S. – Dear Arizona,

Your non-conference slate of…

• Northern Arizona
• UNLV
• Texas San Antonio

…is a joke.

6. Arizona State (0-0)

This Week: Rested on their laurels (what IS a laurel?)

Why would any team not play in week one? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I hear Taylor Kelly is pretttttttaaaayyyyy prettttttaaaayyyyyy good.

Next five games on the slate?

• #21 WISCONSIN
• @ #5 Stanford
• #25 USC
• #14 NOTRE DAME (a game they could lose because they’ll probably looking ahead to powerful…)
• COLORADO
• #20 (but #1 where it matters) WASHINGTON

Yikes. I guess we’ll find out.

*** UPDATE – So It’s been a crazy first week here at Glory Colorado. I’m sitting at Denver International waiting for my 1:00… AM… red-eye to the Big Apple to visit Mom and Pop. And wouldn’t you know it, the Sun Devils are 1-0 now (and have been since yesterday)! But even though my Buffaloes lost to Sacramento State (don’t want to talk about it) last year, this 55-0 stomping won’t move them ahead of Arizona.

Because for one thing, this is a week one ranking and that’s a week two game!

And for another, Tempe needs punishing for ditching one of the best logos in sports last year, and I’m sure this ranking will cut deep.

7. USC (1-0)

This Week: USC 30, Hawaii 13

Okay. So going to Hawaii and winning 30-13 isn’t exactly a bad thing. But as I’ve said before, unsettled quarterback situations are unsettling. And I hear they have a baby as a head coach.

Color me interested to see how the Washington State game goes tomorrow.

Mar 5, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans coach Lane Kiffin reacts at spring practice at Howard Jones Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

8. Utah (1-0)

This Week: Utah 30, State 26

Yeah, it was a pretty miraculous win. And yeah, Utah vs. Utah State shouldn’t even be close. And yeah, if I were a Utah fan I’d be fanning the flames of Coach Wittingham’s hot seat too.

But the fact is that even though Utah State lost Gary Anderson to Wisconsin, this is a team that went 11-2 last year (and beat the Utes), so they weren’t lacking any confidence.

The good news is that that QB Tyler Wilson was very good (17/28, 301 yards, 2 TD’s). The bad news is that Kenneth Scott’s season-ending injury means the Utes will be without their top receiver for the rest of the campaign.

Bold Statement Alert: I’ll be surprised if Utah doesn’t drop in these rankings and if Wittingham doesn’t get a pink slip this year.

9. GLORY GLORY COLORADO (1 AND FRIGGIN 0)

This Week: Boulder 41, Fort Collins 27

BOOOOOOOOM

Ohhhhhhhh man that was fun!

So I know Colorado State isn’t very good (at all). Quarterback Garrett Grayson is bad (very bad). In fact, there’s a good chance CSU is the worst team the Buffs will play all season (and we play Central Arkansas tomorrow).

But there were A LOT of things I liked about Colorado on Sunday.

Paul Richardson is back, and if you forgot that he was a big-time, big-play, blossoming superstar, then he reminded you to the tune of 10 catches, 208 yards and 2 TD’s. I think it’s easy to forget how devastating Richardson’s torn ACL prior to last season was to the Buffs (but thank goodness it cost Embree his job).

Usually when you start a true frosh who no one recruited or has ever heard of at mike linebacker it’s a bit of a bad thing. But Addison Gillam was a STUD out there. 14 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 monster hit stopping a 4th down. Dude played fast and mean, and the linebacker unit that might have been the most disgraceful of all of Colorado’s disgraceful units in 2012 suddenly seems like…. maybe… a strength?

But the main reason I’m excited is because Mike MacIntyre is our head football coach.

Mac’s offense has an identity! WOW! The Buffs haven’t had an identity since coach Barnett had Chris Brown pounding it behind big old hog mollies in 2002. I think the pistol evens the playing field a bit for CU. It allowed Connor Wood (monster game, 33/46, 400 yards, 3 TD’s) easy, quick throws.

If CSU didn’t have two return touchdowns (one punt, one kick) this would have been a blowout. Not to take away from the Rammies, as they were huge plays. But Colorado dominated from scrimmage. And it’s the first time in over a year I can honestly say the better team won, and that team was the Buffaloes.

The Buffs face the fifth best team in the nation tomorrow, and I think they are going to win big! Maybe it is the fifth best team in the FCS, but considering CU is 1-2 all-time against FCS schools, it’s kind of, sort of, saying something.

Central Arkansas is a solid team that knows how to win and has their conference’s 2012 player of the year lining up under center. But I think Mac has this team READY tomorrow, which would be one of the most refreshing things I’ve seen in years.

Sep 1, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Addison Gillam (44) reacts to a turn over on downs play during they game against the Colorado State Rams at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

10. Cal (0-1)

This Week: Very Smart Kids 44, Smart Kids 30

The Bears played a very good team on Saturday, and they played them well. But even though scoring 30 against Northwestern is pretty dang good and a reason for optimism, giving up 44 is not.

Funny number of the week – 64: I know Sonny Dykes is going to air it out. But when you start a true freshman QB, maybe you want to ease him in? Just a little? Not Sonny! Jeff Goff threw 64 passes in his first game, and the kid played pretty well, tossing for 450 with 2 TD’s, despite throwing 3 picks.

The Bears had better handle Portland State this week. They are going to need some confidence with Ohio State coming into Berkley on the 14th.

11. Washington State (0-1)

This Week: Tigers 31, Cougars 24

They probably should have won, but Wazzu shouldn’t hang their heads. Auburn’s not Auburn right now, but for the Cougars to travel to SEC country and compete like they did is a reason for optimism.

Wild(ish) upset alert of the week: I think Washington State has a shot of going into La-La-Land and not just hanging with, but BEATING the Trojans this week. I think that highly of that coach named Lane.

12. Oregon State (0- A BIG 1)

This Week: FCS #3 49, FBS #25 46

OUCH.

That’s a tough loss.

Eastern Washington isn’t exactly a bad football team, but the Beavers were ranked!

CAN’T go giving up 49 to Eastern Washington!