The Best of the West offers fans a candid assessment of the top teams in the western third of the country — a collection of schools now scattered across five conferences: the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West.
The rankings will be published weekly on the Hotline throughout the regular season.
(All times Pacific)
1. Oregon (10-0/7-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 1Result: beat Maryland 39-18Next up: at Wisconsin (4:30 p.m. on NBC)Comment: The Ducks were due for a less-than-stellar performance, particularly after a showdown in the Big House, and mediocre Maryland was the perfect opponent to draw it out of them. The efficiency needs to ramp back up this week — not necessarily to a 10, but at least an 8.5.
2. Boise State (8-1/5-0 Mountain West)
Last week: 3Result: beat Nevada 28-21Next up: at San Jose State (4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network)Comment: Sneaky-tough game this week at SJSU. Quarterback Maddux Madsen must play better than he did against Nevada (9-of-20, one interception) or the Broncos will need a 300-yard game from Ashton Jeanty. (Not that Jeanty can’t do 300 yards, of course.)
3. Brigham Young (9-0/6-0 Big 12)
Last week: 2Result: won at Utah 22-21Next up: vs. Kansas (7:15 p.m. on ESPN)Comment: Lost in the furor over the Holy War finish was a stellar defensive performance from the Cougars in the second half. Credit coordinator Jay Hill for mid-game adjustments that enable BYU to shut down, and shut out, the Utes.
4. Colorado (7-2/5-1 Big 12)
Last week: 4Result: won at Texas Tech 41-27Next up: vs. Utah (9 a.m. on Fox)Comment: We watched the Buffaloes on TV and Brigham Young in person and contemplated a matchup in the Big 12 title game. CU’s offensive line would have major trouble with the Cougars’ defensive front, but the outcome would hinge on BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff making sound decisions under the inevitable pressure from the Buffs.
5. Washington State (8-1)
Last week: 5Result: beat Utah State 49-28Next up: at New Mexico (6:30 p.m. on FS1)Comment: The Cougars were a few spots too low in the College Football Playoff rankings to make a serious push for an at-large bid without utter chaos above them. And whipping Utah State (2-7) doesn’t change that state-of-play.
6. Arizona State (7-2/4-2 Big 12)
Last week: 6Result: beat UCF 35-31Next up: at Kansas State (4 p.m. on ESPN)Comment: ASU’s four Big 12 wins are over teams (Utah, Kansas, UCF and Oklahoma State) with a combined record of 5-21 in conference play. And you know what? That doesn’t make a lick of difference because last year, the Sun Devils were one of those bottom-feeders (in the Pac-12). Now look at them.
7. UCLA (4-5/3-4 Big Ten)
Last week: 11Result: beat Iowa 20-17Next up: at Washington (Friday at 6 p.m. on Fox)Comment: The Best of the Week rankings consider results, but there’s a subjective component that isn’t included in my AP Top 25 ballot. And on a neutral field right now, we would favor the Bruins, who have won three in a row, over every team listed below.
8. UNLV (6-2/2-1 Mountain West)
Last week: 7Result: did not playNext up: vs. San Diego State (7:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network)Comment: The game we want to see — a rematch between UNLV and Boise State in the MW championship — won’t happen unless Colorado State loses. And CSU doesn’t play either the Rebels or the Broncos.
9. Cal (5-4/1-4 ACC)
Last week: 10Result: won at Wake Forest 46-36Next up: vs. Syracuse (1 p.m. on The CW)Comment: What we thought watching the Bears on Tobacco Road: They could have used one of those 54-yard field goals against Pitt or NC State; goodness, their defensive backs are well coached; either they clinch a bowl berth at home (against Syracuse or Stanford), or they don’t clinch at all.
10. Washington (5-5/3-4 Big Ten)
Last week: 8Result: lost at Penn StateNext up: vs. UCLA (Friday at 6 p.m. on Fox)Comment: The Huskies traveled roughly 16,000 air miles for their four cross-country trips (Rutgers, Iowa, Indiana and Penn State), and all they have to show for the carbon footprint — and effort expended — is four losses, a bag of coal and the reality of their lowly position in the Big Ten hierarchy.
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11. USC (4-5/2-5)
Last week: 9Result: did not playNext up: vs. Nebraska (1 p.m. on Fox)Comment: The Trojans’ bowl math has gotten significantly more challenging with UCLA’s improvement. And if they don’t beat Nebraska, then algebra starts to look like quantum physics.
12. Utah (4-5/1-5 Big 12)
Last week: 13Result: lost to Brigham Young 22-21Next up: at Colorado (9 a.m. on Fox)Comment: Also lost in athletic director Mark Harlan’s outrage over the Holy War finish: The Utes did not score in the second half, could not stop BYU when it mattered and should have switched quarterbacks, to Brandon Rose, weeks ago.
13. San Jose State (6-3/3-2 Mountain West)
Last week: 12Result: won at Oregon State 24-13Next up: vs. Boise State (4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network)Comment: The Spartans are bowl-eligible for the fourth time in five years — a stretch of success unlike anything the program has experienced in the past three decades. And with Boise State and UNLV remaining, they could do significant damage to the top of the MW standings.
14. Arizona (3-6/1-5 Big 12)
Last week: 14Result: did not playNext up: vs. Houston (Friday at 7:15 p.m. on FS1)Comment: Bad as the Wildcats have played in the past month, they have a path into the postseason — it’s not like Houston, TCU and ASU are vastly superior in personnel. But winning out would require a wholly different mindset, in addition to massively improved execution.
15. Colorado State (6-3/4-0 Mountain West)
Last week: not rankedResult: idleNext up: vs. Wyoming (Friday at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network)Comment: The Rams enter the Best of the West for the first time this season, replacing Oregon State. Yes, the Beavers won the head-to-head matchup. But that was in Corvallis, in overtime, a month ago. Since then, OSU hasn’t won and CSU hasn’t lost. Case closed.
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