Armen Aprahamian

The most glaring takeaway from this week, however, came after Washington hammered home the final nail in the coffin for the Pac-12, slowing down the conference’s highest ranked team and almost certainly precluding an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Perhaps the most exciting result came from Cal (6-4) at USC (5-5), a matchup between two schools that came in with identical overall records.

Both Washington schools lead the way, with No. 8 Washington State (8-1, 5-1) as the frontrunner with any slim hope the conference has in reaching the College Football Playoff.

Week in and week out the “Conference of Champions” proves that nothing is out of the realm of possibility — no wins are guaranteed and no leaders are meant to stay.

When the Cougars and Ducks face off, fans can expect a high-scoring affair, but what’s truly unproven is how the Ducks will perform on the road under the attention of a College GameDay audience — which didn’t go so well last time against Stanford.

The Buffaloes are 5-0, already matching their win total from last season, but it’s been more of a product of their soft schedule than anything else, as they have yet to face a ranked team.

For a Colorado team that finished 2017 short of a bowl game, being 4-0 is a bona fide step in the right direction. Quarterback Steven Montez’s consistent ability to make plays has propelled the team into the AP Top 25.

With each of the top four teams in the Pac-12, which all happen to be in the North Division, facing significant challenges this week, it will soon be clear if the much-scrutinized conference is up to snuff.

Oregon will be in the comfortable confines of Autzen Stadium, however. The Ducks have also shown great promise with their run defense, allowing only 77 rushing yards per game so far this season, good for ninth-best in the country.

The conference has five ranked teams heading into Week 3 (No. 9 Stanford, No. 10 Washington, No. 20 Oregon, No. 22 USC, No. 23 Arizona State).