The only absolute truth in the Pac-12 this season is that uncertainty is always right around the corner.
That is what Washington learned when it lost to Stanford on Friday night, effectively ending the conference's College Football Playoff hopes in the process.
ASU learned the same lesson on Saturday, as the Sun Devils gained almost 600 total yards and still found a way to lose to UCLA.
Here are this week's rankings.
1) USC Trojans (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12) Last week: 2
The Trojans had a nice 38-24 road win over Colorado, with quarterback Sam Darnold leading the way with two touchdowns and 329 passing yards.
2) Washington State Cougars (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) Last week: 3
WSU fought past Utah to earn a 33-25 road victory. Cougar quarterback Luke Falk set the Pac-12 record for career touchdown passes with this touchdown throw.
3) Stanford Cardinal (7-3, 6-2 Pac-12) Last week: 4
Stanford probably played its best game of the season by beating Washington 30-22. Running back Bryce Love was tremendous, scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 166 yards.
4) Washington Huskies (8-2, 6-2 Pac-12) Last week: 1
Washington's slim playoff hopes died a slow, painful and miserable death at the hands of the Stanford Cardinal. The Huskies can still win the Pac-12 North and the Pac-12 as a whole, but now Stanford has a better conference record than UW and owns the tiebreaker, so even if UW wins out, Stanford has the inside track to win the Pac-12 North.
5) Arizona Wildcats (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) Last week: 6
Another week, another remarkable game from Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate – this time Tate rushed for 206 yards and two scores in the Wildcats' 49-28 smackdown of Oregon State. Arizona has been the surprise team of the conference, and it is all because of Tate.
6) UCLA Bruins (5-5, 3-4 Pac-12) Last week: 11
The Bruins are a deeply flawed team, most notably shown in their run defense, as they still allow over 300 rushing yards per game. In its 44-37 shootout triumph over ASU, UCLA surrendered 294 rushing yards, but quarterback Josh Rosen played the role of a savior, throwing for 381 yards and a touchdown in the win.
7) Arizona State Sun Devils (5-5, 4-3 Pac-12) Last week: 5
The Sun Devils should have won their game against UCLA. ASU ran the ball better and out-gained UCLA, but were forced to settle for short field goals in some key spots. Now the Sun Devils' trip to Oregon State is much more important if ASU wants to make a bowl game.
8) California Golden Bears (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) Last week: 7
The Golden Bears were off this week, but get passed by UCLA since the Bruins won. It could be worse, as Cal at least avoided losing.
9) Oregon Ducks (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) Last week: 9
Like Cal, Oregon also had a bye. Apparently, Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is almost ready to play again, but there is no guarantee.
10) Utah Utes (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) Last week: 8
The Utes had seven turnovers against WSU, so the fact they only lost by one score is remarkable in and of itself.
11) Colorado Buffaloes (5-6, 2-5 Pac-12) Last week: 10
Colorado gave USC a 27-0 lead in its loss on Saturday. Letting any team get a 27-point lead is not good, but letting the best team in the Pac-12 do that is a fool-proof plan for failure.
12) Oregon State Beavers (1-9, 0-7 Pac-12) Last week: 12
Oregon State loses yet again, this time to Arizona. The Beavers return to Corvallis for their senior day to host ASU. There is no way the Beavers can win that game, right?
Reach the reporter at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepressport on Twitter.
