The Best of the West offers fans an unapologetic 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 available weekly on the Hotline throughout the regular season. (We’ll publish a basketball version of the BOTW starting in November.)
All times Pacific.
1. Utah (1-0)
Last week: 2
Result: beat Southern Utah 49-0
Next up: vs. Baylor (12:30 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: It had been so long since quarterback Cam Rising last took a snap for the Utes — 605 days, to be exact — that we forgot how smoothly the offense operates when he has the joysticks, especially the play-action game. If he stays healthy, a College Football Playoff berth awaits.
2. USC (1-0)
Last week: 5
Result: beat LSU 27-20
Next up: vs. Utah State (8 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: The showdown in Sin City more than met the hype, and USC fans undoubtedly headed home with visions of the CFP dancing in their heads. We hesitate to make any bold pronouncements because of the distinct possibility that LSU isn’t very good. The meaning of the result takes on a different hue if the Tigers finish 7-5 as opposed to 9-3 or 10-2.
3. Arizona (1-0)
Last week: 3
Result: beat New Mexico 61-39
Next up: vs. Northern Arizona (7 p.m. on ESPN+)
Comment: Let’s talk about that which has been lost in the (deserved) attention placed on receiver Tetairoa McMillan: Arizona’s defense was thisclose to awful on Saturday night — much, much worse than we expected. How much can be attributed to Week 1 glitches? We’ll know by Week 3, when the Wildcats head to Kansas State.
4. Oregon (1-0)
Last week: 1
Result: beat Idaho 24-14
Next up: vs. Boise State (7 p.m. on Peacock)
Comment: The Hotline is not often surprised, but 36 hours later we are still attempting to comprehend the performance of Oregon’s offensive line, specifically the paltry 2.9 yards per run against an Idaho defense that was, in theory, utterly outmanned. Two. Point. Nine. Unreal.
5. Boise State (1-0)
Last week: 4
Result: won at Georgia Southern 56-45
Next up: at Oregon (7 p.m. on Peacock)
Comment: Rarely has a Group of Five player so immediately and convincingly justified a Heisman Trophy campaign as Broncos tailback Ashton Jeanty did Saturday night with 267 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers surely got Oregon’s full attention.
6. Washington (1-0)
Last week: 6
Result: beat Weber State 35-3
Next up: vs. Eastern Michigan (12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network)
Comment: Look hard enough long enough, and you can identify a few nits to be picked. But overall, the Huskies couldn’t have asked for much more from Jedd Fisch and Co. given the personnel overhauls on both sides of the ball.
7. Arizona State (1-0)
Last week: 13
Result: beat Wyoming 48-7
Next up: vs. Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. on ESPN)
Comment: The Sun Devils were in midseason form compared to most of the teams we watched over the course of four days. Then again, it’s possible Wyoming has regressed substantially in the post-Craig Bohl era. We’ll know this weekend when the Cowboys host Idaho and the Devils take on MSU.
8. Colorado (1-0)
Last week: 7
Result: beat North Dakota State 31-26
Next up: at Nebraska (4:30 p.m. on Peacock)
Comment: The next two weeks, with trips to Lincoln and Fort Collins, will shape the season: Win both, and the Buffaloes are bowling; split, and their postseason prospects are in the 50-50 range; lose both, and they’re toast. The likelihood of getting swept isn’t high but should not be discounted entirely.
9. Washington State (1-0)
Last week: 8
Result: beat Portland State 70-30
Next up: vs. Texas Tech (7 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: The Hotline was so impressed with freshman tailback Wayshawn Parker that we looked him up in the 247Sports database: The three-star prospect from Sacramento received scholarship offers from a few Group of Five and Mountain West schools, plus WSU and Washington.
10. Brigham Young (1-0)
Last week: 14
Result: beat Southern Illinois 41-13
Next up: at SMU (Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2)
Comment: Kalani Sitake’s offseason emphasis on physicality was evident early and often, on both sides of the ball. But the trip to Dallas poses two challenges: It’s a short week of preparation for the Cougars, while the Mustangs have had two games to fine-tune their execution.
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11. Cal (1-0)
Last week: 9
Result: beat UC Davis 31-13
Next up: at Auburn (12:30 p.m. on ESPN2)
Comment: As sure as there’s a protest somewhere on campus, the Bears struggle for a half against FCS opponents — don’t read too much into that wobbly showing against UC Davis. For that matter, we aren’t sure this week’s trip to The Plains will offer much clarity into Cal’s prospects against all the mediocrity in the ACC.
12. Oregon State (1-0)
Last week: 11
Result: beat Idaho State 38-15
Next up: at San Diego State (7:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network)
Comment: There’s no better time to deliver a message (to your players, fans and upcoming opponents) than the first game of a new era, and in OSU’s case the message was clear: 362 rushing yards on 58 attempts. Smart decision by Trent Bray. Smart, smart decision.
13. UCLA (1-0)
Last week: 10
Result: won at Hawaii 16-13
Next up: idle
Comment: Week 1 is always kindling for overreactions whether results are unexpectedly positive (Arizona State, for example) or negative (hello, Oregon). But in the wake of UCLA’s narrow escape in Honolulu, the Hotline is left with a single response: The basketball season starts Nov. 4.
14. UNLV (1-0)
Last week: not ranked
Result: won at Houston 27-7
Next up: vs. Utah Tech (12 p.m. on Silver State Network)
Comment: Sure, the Rebels were facing a flawed foe with a new coach and a roster that’s not nearly ready for prime time. Doesn’t matter. Lopsided road wins over Big 12 teams are lopsided road wins over Big 12 teams regardless of circumstance. Year 1 of the Barry Odom era was no fluke, it appears.
15. Stanford (0-1)
Last week: 12
Result: lost to TCU 34-27
Next up: vs. Cal Poly (4 p.m. on ESPN+)
Comment: Some fans might have noticed the former Pac-12 collective went 11-1 in season openers, with Stanford recording the lone loss. For all the opportunities presented by TCU’s undisciplined play, the Cardinal simply didn’t have enough playmakers to put the game away. A long season awaits.
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