Pac-12 Power Rankings, Week 14: Title game is here, but some programs are just getting started

This is our final set of Pac-12 Power Rankings of 2017. It’s the second time our panelists have been in complete lockstep. Which must mean that the conference is in stable condition – move along, nothing to see here – right?

Far from it. Heading into the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday night, the league is in a state of flux. Three schools have hired or are in the process of hiring new coaches – and two of them are headline-grabbers: Chip Kelly (UCLA) and Herm Edwards (Arizona State).

Say what you will about Edwards – a polarizing choice to say the least – but this is undeniable: The Pac-12 South just got a lot more interesting.

Per usual, the voting panel consists of Star staffers Michael Lev, Zack Rosenblatt and Justin Spears. The former has the comments for the ’17 finale.

Will the division finally win the title game? Fun fact: The South is 0-6. Fun fact II: Only one game (2012) has been decided by fewer than 18 points.

Can our consensus No. 1, USC, buck that trend? We’ll find out soon enough.

1. USC (10-2, 8-1 PAC-12; PREVIOUS RANK: 1)

Last week: Bye

This week: vs. Stanford in Pac-12 Championship Game (Santa Clara, Calif.), 6 p.m. ESPN

Comment: The Trojans are set to make their second appearance in the title game. They lost to the Cardinal 41-22 in 2015 – Clay Helton’s first game as the official head coach. That dropped his career record to 6-4. Since then, he’s 20-5 with a Rose Bowl victory and a No. 3 finish in the AP Top 25. No other Pac-12 fan base would complain about that record.

2. STANFORD (9-3, 7-2; PREVIOUS RANK: 3)

Last week: Defeated Notre Dame 38-20

This week: vs. USC in Pac-12 Championship Game (Santa Clara, Calif.), 6 p.m., ESPN

Comment: If the Cardinal avenges its earlier loss to the Trojans – and Baker Mayfield stumbles in the Big 12 title game – could Bryce Love steal the Heisman Trophy? He enters this weekend second in the nation in rushing (1,848) and scrimmage yards (1,881), fourth in average per rush (8.6) and tied for 10^th in rushing touchdowns (16). Or, will Love simply join the distinguished list of Stanford runners-up?

3. WASHINGTON (10-2, 7-2; PREVIOUS RANK: 4)

Last week: Defeated Washington State 41-14

This week: Off

Comment: The Huskies didn’t have quite the season many were projecting, although there’s no shame in a pair of one-score road losses in league play. The question now is whether Washington can sneak into one of the New Year’s Six bowls – giving the Pac-12 two representatives and moving everyone else up a notch in the pecking order. At No. 13 in the latest College Football Playoff ranking, the Huskies have a shot.

4. WASHINGTON STATE (9-3, 6-3; PREVIOUS RANK: 2)

Last week: Lost at Washington 41-14

This week: Off

Comment: Mike Leach is a good college football coach. He’s the guy you turn to for pirate anecdotes and wedding advice. He just can’t beat his top rival. Wazzu defeated Washington 31-28 in 2012, Leach’s first season. Since then, the Cougars have dropped five straight by an average score of 38-14. Argh! That’s a tough one for WSU fans to swallow. Eight-plus wins three years in a row makes it go down a little easier.

5. ARIZONA STATE (7-5, 6-3; PREVIOUS RANK: 5)

Last week: Defeated Arizona 42-30

This week: Off

Comment: The case for Edwards, 63, who’s been out of coaching for nearly a decade and out of college coaching for almost three … He will win the living room. He’s extremely passionate and a terrific orator. Parents would feel comfortable putting their sons’ futures in his hands. And kids will know him from ESPN. Is it an unconventional hire? Yes. Could it work? Absolutely.

6. OREGON (7-5, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 7)

Last week: Defeated Oregon State 69-10

This week: Off

Comment: One of our panelists projected the Ducks as his Pac-12 sleeper team this year. Even ranked them in his preseason AP Top 25. (Hint: He’s the only panelist with an AP vote – and who’s over 30.) Oregon went 6-1 with Justin Herbert as its starting quarterback and averaged 52.1 points in those games. Does that mean our panelist was … right?

6. OREGON (7-5, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 7)

Last week: Defeated Oregon State 69-10

This week: Off

Comment: One of our panelists projected the Ducks as his Pac-12 sleeper team this year. Even ranked them in his preseason AP Top 25. (Hint: He’s the only panelist with an AP vote – and who’s over 30.) Oregon went 6-1 with Justin Herbert as its starting quarterback and averaged 52.1 points in those games. Does that mean our panelist was … right?

7. ARIZONA (7-5, 5-4; PREVIOUS RANK: 6)

Last week: Lost at Arizona State 42-30

This week: Off

Comment: Vegas Bowl? Sun Bowl? Other? It matters … yet it doesn’t. What’s most important for the Wildcats is getting Khalil Tate healthy and keeping him that way. Although he has only eight starts on his résumé, it’s clear that Tate is one of the true difference makers in college football. The fact that he injured both shoulders this season is a tad worrisome.

8. UCLA (6-6, 4-5; PREVIOUS RANK: 10)

Last week: Defeated Cal 30-27

This week: Off

Comment: Chip. Freaking. Kelly. Wow. If it’s difficult to convince anyone that Edwards is a home-run hire, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t think Kelly is a grand slam. UCLA already was getting blue-chip prospects – at worst, the best of USC’s leftovers. For whatever reason, it didn’t completely work under Jim Mora. It’d be stunning if it doesn’t under Kelly, who went 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon.

9. UTAH (6-6, 3-6; PREVIOUS RANK: 9)

Last week: Defeated Colorado 34-13

This week: Off

Comment: The Utes qualified for a bowl game for the fourth straight year and the 11th time in 13 seasons under Kyle Whittingham. But Utah’s final record will be its third worst during his tenure. Where did it go wrong? Two stats stand out: The Utes rank last in the Pac-12 in third-down percentage (35.7) and have given the ball away 24 times, third most in the league

10. CAL (5-7, 2-7; PREVIOUS RANK: 8)

Last week: Lost at UCLA 30-27

This week: Off

Comment: If the Golden Bears had won their finale to gain bowl eligibility, Justin Wilcox would have garnered some Coach of the Year votes. They ended up with the same record in Year 1 under Wilcox as they had in Year 4 under Sonny Dykes. But it felt different. After losing three straight to start league play, Cal pummeled Washington State. Three of Cal’s last four losses came by a total of seven points.

11. COLORADO (5-7, 2-7; PREVIOUS RANK: 11)

Last week: Lost at Utah 34-13

This week: Off

Comment: What the heck happened here? Not only did the Buffaloes’ win total fall from 10 to five, but they weren’t competitive in losses at Washington State (28-0) and Utah (34-13) down the stretch. On the heels of a scandalous offseason, this next season looms as a critical one for Mike McIntyre. Can he survive a fifth sub.-500 campaign in six years?

12. OREGON STATE (1-11, 0-9; PREVIOUS RANK: 12)

Last week: Lost at Oregon 69-10

This week: Off

Comment: Jonathan Smith isn’t a sexy hire, but he just might be a good one. He played for the Beavers. He’s a disciple of Mike Riley and Chris Petersen. And Smith, 38, is the youngest coach in the Pac-12. Oregon State needs someone who understands what it takes to win there and who’s committed to a long-term rebuild. Smith checks those boxes, among others.