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. Utah (4-0/1-0 Big 12)
Last week: 1
Result: won at Oklahoma State 22-19
Next up: vs. Arizona (7:15 p.m. on ESPN)
Comment: We won’t mention the possibility that the Holy War could be the Big 12 game of the year. Nope, we won’t utter a peep about it. (But if that’s how the plot unfolds, we’re so here for it.)
2. USC (2-1/0-1 Big Ten)
Last week: 2
Result: lost at Michigan 27-24
Next up: vs. Wisconsin (12:30 p.m. on CBS)
Comment: This is the 2020s, not the 1920s. There is no excuse for losing to an opponent that completes seven passes for 32 yards (and isn’t a service academy).
3. Oregon (3-0)
Last week: 3
Result: idle
Next up: at UCLA (8 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: We haven’t seen the betting line for Saturday night, but give the points. Every last one of them.
4. Boise State (2-1)
Last week: 4
Result: beat Portland State 56-14
Next up: vs. Washington State (7 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: Ashton Jeanty leads the country in rushing with 195.3 yards per game, and nobody is close. What a player.
5. Washington State (4-0)
Last week: 5
Result: beat San Jose State 54-52 (2OT)
Next up: at Boise State (7 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: The Cougars are one win away from the College Football Playoff becoming a valid topic of conversation. They should be moderate-to-heavy favorites in the last seven games.
6. Brigham Young (4-0/1-0 Big 12)
Last week: 11
Result: beat Kansas State 38-9
Next up: at Baylor (9 a.m. on FS1)
Comment: If that wasn’t the most complete performance of the Kalani Sitake era, especially given the competition, then it’s certainly on the ultra-short list.
7. Cal (3-1/0-1 ACC)
Last week: 6
Result: lost at Florida State 14-9
Next up: idle
Comment: No touchdowns against an FSU defense that allowed at least 20 points to Memphis, Boston College and Georgia Tech is no good. Nor is it all that surprising.
8. Washington (3-1/1-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 8
Result: beat Northwestern 24-5
Next up: at Rutgers (Friday, 5 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: Beating a bad team handily at home is not typically reason enough to climb the BOTW rankings. But beating a good team on the opposite coast on a short week of preparation would definitely result in a bump in UW’s position.
9. UNLV (3-0)
Last week: 9
Result: idle
Next up: vs. Fresno State (12:30 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: All signs point to Boise State’s date with the Rebels, in Las Vegas on Oct. 25, as being the game of the year in the Mountain West. And it should have major CFP implications.
10. Colorado (3-1/1-0 Big 12)
Last week: 12
Result: beat Baylor 38-31 (OT)
Next up: at UCF (12:30 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: One miracle play completely changed the complexion of CU’s season. The postseason math is exponentially more manageable at 3-1 than 2-2 given the arduous upcoming schedule.
Related Articles
Saturday Night Five: Realignment reality, Utah’s statement, Colorado’s escape and WSU stays perfect
Mailbag: On the massive Pac-12 expansion penalties, AAC options, the Mountain West’s future and more
Pac-12 recruiting: How expansion could impact Washington State and Oregon State
Big Ten football: The Hotline re-ranked the teams based on early results (and made several major changes)
Big 12 football: The Hotline re-ranked the teams based on early results (the chaos could be second to none)
11. Arizona (2-1)
Last week: 7
Result: idle
Next up: at Utah (7:15 p.m. on ESPN)
Comment: The loss at Kansas State looks worse, and the trip to Provo in a few weeks looks tougher — much, much tougher.
12. Arizona State (3-1/0-1 Big 12)
Last week: 10
Result: lost at Texas Tech 30-22
Next up: idle
Comment: Perfect time for a week off, and it comes with a slight competitive advantage: Kansas, which visits Tempe on Oct. 5, plays TCU next weekend.
13. Oregon State (3-1)
Last week: 13
Result: beat Purdue 38-21
Next up: idle
Comment: Our updated assessment after running 10,000 simulations through the Hotline super-computer: The Beavers must win the next two games (Colorado State and Nevada) in order to have a reasonable path into the postseason, because the second-half schedule is sneaky-tough.
14. UCLA (1-2/ 0-1 Big Ten)
Last week: 14
Result: lost at LSU 34-17
Next up: vs. Oregon (8 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: When 17-point losses are considered moral victories — and that’s how we view the result in Death Valley — you know the situation is bleak. (Not for nothing: A 17-point loss next weekend would be viewed exactly the same way.)
15. Stanford (2-1/1-0 ACC)
Last week: 15
Result: won at Syracuse 26-24
Next up: at Clemson (4 p.m. on ESPN)
Comment: If the quarterback play the rest of the season matches the line-of-scrimmage play we saw Friday night, the Cardinal has a chance for a mid-level finish in the ACC. Consider us skeptical.
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