The Pac-12’s opening weekend was a mess in the standings and a shakeup in the pecking order. The league went 2-6 against a brutal slate that included five road games against ranked opponents, and that kind of traffic jam always leaves fingerprints on a power ranking.
A few teams took real steps forward. Colorado State and Oregon State climbed the most after impressive showings, while Utah State tumbled hard after an upset loss to Idaho State. With Week 2 on deck, here’s how the league stacks up.
Boise State holds the top spot for a second straight week despite a 34-27 road loss to a top-10 Oregon team. The Broncos looked every bit like a top-25 club, even if the upset never fully materialized. There’s still a sense that Boise State can win the rest of its games after that performance.
The next big test comes fast. Boise State hosts Memphis in a game that could matter a lot for both teams’ College Football Playoff chances. Memphis is fresh off a Week 0 win over UNLV in Las Vegas, and the winner here will be in prime position for a CFP spot.
San Diego State stays at No. 2 after a 53-20 win over FCS opponent Portland State. The Aztecs did plenty of damage on the ground, piling up 237 rushing yards, but the quarterback situation remains a question heading into the season.
That issue gets a real spotlight this week with a trip to the Rose Bowl to face UCLA. The Bruins beat Cal 45-24 on the road in Week 1, so this is a strong early barometer for SDSU.
Washington State remains third after dropping the Apple Cup 24-10 in Week 1. The Cougars’ defense looked ready for the challenge and should be one of the better units in the Pac-12, but the offense left more questions than answers.
That side of the ball gets another chance to show something in Week 2 at K-State. The Wildcats are coming off a 71-3 win over FCS Nicholls, and the key thing to watch is whether Washington State opens things up a little more on offense.
Colorado State makes one of the week’s biggest jumps, climbing from No. 7 to No. 4 after a 35-13 win over rival Wyoming. Jim Mora’s team entered the season with uncertainty at quarterback, and Hauss Hejny helped answer plenty of it by throwing for five touchdowns and 214 yards.
The Rams get Southern Utah at home this week before a huge Week 3 home game against No. 15 BYU. If Colorado State handles business now, that BYU matchup gets even bigger.
Oregon State also vaults upward, moving from last in the offseason rankings to No. 5 after a strong effort against No. 22 Houston.
The Beavers kept the game close and had a shot late in the fourth quarter. Braden Atkinson was a major reason why, throwing for 376 yards and looking like a top-tier Pac-12 quarterback.
Now comes a much tougher assignment. Oregon State hosts No.
13 Texas Tech, and while the Beavers enter as heavy underdogs, the first game of JaMarcus Shephard’s tenure in Corvallis should have a strong home atmosphere. The big questions are whether Atkinson can back up his Week 1 showing and whether Oregon State can keep it competitive.
Fresno State slides to No. 6 after getting shut out 39-0 by No. 14 USC. The preseason concerns about quarterback play and the offense didn’t go away in Week 1; if anything, they grew louder.
The Bulldogs try to reset at home against Sacramento State. That game should tell a lot about whether the offense can sustain drives and score points. If not, the alarm bells in Fresno only get louder.
Texas State falls to No. 7 after a 59-7 loss at top-five Texas. The Bobcats were always staring at a difficult road assignment, but the margin made it a rough watch. Texas State struggled to move the ball and didn’t do much to slow down the Longhorns.
G.J. Kinne’s team now has to move on quickly for a rivalry game against UTSA. It’s the kind of game Texas State needs if it wants to stay on track for a bowl push, and the defense will need to be sturdier this time around.
Utah State lands at the bottom after the ugliest result of the opening week, an embarrassing loss to FCS opponent Idaho State. The Aggies actually moved the ball well, but the turnovers buried them: a 4-0 deficit in that category, plus three more turnovers on fourth-down stops.
Bronco Mendenhall and his staff have plenty to clean up, and the schedule doesn’t offer much mercy. Utah State heads to No.
19 Washington, which is coming off a 24-10 Apple Cup win over Washington State. For the Aggies, the goal this week is simple: cut down the penalties and turnovers and keep it respectable against the Huskies.
In Other News...
WSU Turned An Overlooked Walk-On Into A Starter For A Reason
When Washington State shuffled into a new coaching era, Lester became one of the clearest examples of how quickly a roster can change around a player who keeps showing up. A former walk-on who did not see game action for two seasons, he stayed in the program, earned a scholarship and worked his way into the conversation on the offensive line after moving from left guard to right tackle during the preseason.
Now a regular starter for the 2025 season, Lesters path says plenty about what the Cougars value up front: adaptability, patience and the ability to seize an opening when it appears. His rise has been gradual rather than flashy, but it has also been unmistakable, and it gives Washington State another steady piece to lean on as the line settles in under the new staff. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Still Has Major Roster Questions Before Kansas State
Washington States official depth chart for the Kansas State game offered the first real glimpse of how the Cougars are sorting through their lineup this week, and it still leaves plenty of gray area. The chart lays out starters and backups on both sides of the ball, but it also shows the staff is not locked into clean answers yet, with several spots marked by OR designations that suggest live competition or shared roles as kickoff approaches.
The bigger concern may be the absences. Tight ends Trey Leckner and Hudson Cedarland are not listed because of injuries, which adds another layer to a roster already trying to settle itself before a tough matchup. Between the injury-related holes and the unsettled jobs across the chart, Washington State is heading into Saturday with more questions than clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Heads Into A Road Test With One K State Edge Unclear
Kansas States season opener offered a few early clues for Washington State to study before the Cougars head on the road, and the most important ones may come up front. In a Q&A with Wildcats beat writer Ryan Gilbert, the conversation centered on how the offensive line performed against Nicholls, where the group still looked in search of continuity while dealing with injury setbacks, and how that could shape the way Kansas State handles another game week. For a Washington State defense trying to get ready on short notice, the picture is useful even if it is not fully settled yet.
The Wildcats also came out of the opener with some clearer answers on defense, where a handful of key players stood out and gave the unit a more defined identity heading into Saturday. Gilbert also pointed to the tight end group as a spot worth watching, with Linkon Cure and Garrett Oakley both in the mix for bigger roles as the Wildcats keep sorting out how they want to use that part of the offense. For Washington State, the unresolved pieces matter because they can change the look of the game plan, and the final read on Kansas States personnel is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]