The Pac-12's week four is in the books, and I’m not sure if we know more or less about this conference. What I do know is that this week’s power rankings are the best yet because, in this edition, each team is compared to a rap album released in 2016.
1. No. 7 Stanford (3-0, 2-0 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "untitled unmastered" by Kendrick Lamar
The Cardinal went on the road and took down the presumptive Pac-12 South favorite in UCLA. Stanford is raw and unrefined in its style, preferring to outwork and outmuscle opponents, while Kendrick’s release, as noted by its title, is not flashy. Kendrick and Stanford both blow past rivals with their ability, rather than relying on flashy gimmicks, which is why they're in the upper echelon of what they do.
2. No. 10 Washington (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "Blonde" by Frank Ocean
Another week, another win for the Huskies. Despite being 4-0, I’m still not fully convinced Washington is the second best team in the conference, but no team has stepped up to take the spot, either. Similar to Frank Ocean, I have no idea if Washington is great or not, but a lot of other people will stand on their respective walls defending them.
3. No. 18 Utah (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "Malibu" by Anderson .Paak
Kyle Whittingham continues to prove that he’s one of the best coaches in the conference, if not the country, with his decision to go for the win over USC Friday. The Utes, while not spectacular, continue to win games, similar to how “Malibu” doesn’t have one stand-out song but is solid from top to bottom.
4. ASU (4-0, 1-0 Pac 12)
Album comparison: "The Life of Pablo" by Kanye West
While I don’t think the Sun Devils are as good as Yeezy’s latest release, I do see some similarities. Still a young team, you can see they’re rough around the edges — similar to the production style, and a work in progress, like how there were still tweaks after the initial release of T.L.O.P.
5. Colorado (3-1, 1-0 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "SremmLife 2" by Rae Sremmurd
The up-and-comers from Boulder are making a statement both in the Pac-12 and nationally. The Buffaloes lone loss came to Michigan in Ann Arbor — as tough a test as there is in the country this season. Without Sefo Liufau, Colorado went on the road with Steven Montez and beat the feathers off of Oregon in their new Puddles-themed uniforms.
6. UCLA (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "Views" by Drake
Both Views and the Bruins were hyped up heading into the season behind America's two favorite Jews, sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen and Drizzy. Rosen is "Too Good," compared to the rest of the team, that seems to lack the "Fire and Desire" to win the Pac-12 at times.
7. CAL (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "New English" by Desiigner
The Golden Bear offense is explosive and fun, like "Panda," but the defense is miserable, like the rest of the album. No one is exactly certain if Cal is good or not, but they sure are exciting to watch, like the 19-year-old trap artist.
8. Arizona (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "PARTYNEXTDOOR 3" by PARTYNEXTDOOR
I don't think anyone was expecting this album or this team to be any good, and both delivered as promised. To be fair to the Wildcats, they put up a good fight against Washington, but as stated earlier, we're still not entirely sure if the Huskies are actually as good as their ranking would suggest.
9. USC (1-3, 0-2 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "Coolaid" by Snoop Dogg
Both Los Angeles legends have fallen off in recent years, but there are still relics of years past to remind of their former greatness. It wasn’t too long ago that both the Trojans and Snoop ran the west coast, but it’s been a long time since either was the case. Plus, Snoop loves the Trojans, so this is a win-win.
10. Oregon (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12)
Album comparison: "Hard II Love" by Usher
Both the Ducks and Usher were once on top of the world, but now they’re holding on by a thread. Oregon hasn't looked like the team people remember from the Marcus Mariota, Darron Thomas or even Jeremiah Masoli eras. Uncharacteristic mistakes and poor play have the Ducks reeling.
11. Oregon State (1-2)
Album comparison: "Better Late Than Never" by Soulja Boy
Did you know Soulja Boy released an album this year? Neither did anyone else. That's basically where the Beavers are in the national view of college football. Sure, people know they exist and that they're still playing football, but who outside of Corvallis is really paying attention?
12. Washington State (1-2)
Album comparison: "This Unruly Mess I’ve Made" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
The Pacific Northwest’s favorite rapping son finally released his follow-up to 2012’s “The Heist” and it fell flatter than Wazzu’s defense against Eastern Washington. The Cougars have looked bad to start the season, especially for a team looking to build on an eight-win season a year ago.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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