Since Washington beat Oregon 36-33 in the biggest game of the Pac-12 season so far, the two teams have gone in opposite directions. Washington has struggled to handle Arizona State and Stanford. Meanwhile, Oregon cruised past Washington State and then obliterated Utah on the road.

As such, we have a new No. 1.

It’s once again time to update the Power Rankings, so let’s dive in.

12. Stanford Cardinal (2-6, 1-5 Pac-12)

Last week: 12

Washington’s defense isn’t UCLA’s defense. Who would have thought? Against a weaker secondary, Ashton Daniels was a real positive in a 42-33 loss. The Stanford quarterback threw for 367 yards, ran for another 85, and scored three touchdowns. Stanford was actually close in the fourth, and a dropped ball on a fourth-and-2 gadget play prevented what could have been a disastrous drive for Washington’s season.

11. Washington State Cougars (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12)

Last week: 8

The Cougars lost 38-27 to Arizona State, a team that entered the day riding a six-game losing streak. And now a 4-0 start for the Cougs has been followed up with a four-game losing streak. It’s the first time Wazzu has lost four games in a row in the same season since 2014, and it’s really hard to understand what’s going on in Pullman. The run game was never good. The offensive line was never good. Cameron Ward was just good enough to manage, and it’s not like these last two weeks have been poor for him. The defense has stopped forcing turnovers and gave up more than 200 rushing yards for the second week in a row. It’s fair to ask where Jake Dickert’s head is at.

10. Cal Golden Bears (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12)

Last week: 11

If Jaydn Ott doesn’t get hurt, does Cal beat USC? It’s a fun hypothetical. The standout tailback had 153 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries before leaving the game early in the fourth. He had 131 yards after the first quarter, consistently gashing a hapless Trojan defense. Cal scored 49 points as a team and was a two-point conversion away from upsetting the Trojans. It was another strong offensive showing and a gross defensive display from Cal.

9. Colorado Buffaloes (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12)

Last week: 9

The Buffs lost their fourth conference game in five tries to UCLA, 28-16. The skill talent is enough to win with, the quarterback is enough to win with, but the quality of play at the line of scrimmage is just not anywhere close to enough.

8. Arizona State Sun Devils (2-6, 1-4 Pac-12)

Last week: 10

The Sun Devils have been trending in the right direction for weeks on the defensive side of the football. Finally, against Washington State, they broke through with complementary play. Cam Skattebo and DeCarlos Brooks combined to rush for 188 yards and four touchdowns. ASU is a tough team to face right now with the way it is playing at the line of scrimmage.

7. UCLA Bruins (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12)

Last week: 7

Another win for the Bruins powered by the defense. UCLA turned the football over four times and yet still only gave up 16 points. Colorado only scored three points off the four takeaways. Sure, it helps going against a line that couldn’t protect its quarterback from blitzing 10-year-olds, but UCLA showed its quality in the front seven again.

6. USC Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12)

Last week: 6

Lincoln Riley is correct when he says USC’s good is good enough to beat anyone in the conference. The issue facing Riley is that USC’s bad is bad enough to get beat by anyone in the conference and we’re seeing far too much bad. USC defenders have committed egregious penalties on scoring drives late in the fourth quarter now two weeks in a row. Tackling remains sad. Fundamentals are still regularly forgotten. Riley gambled that incremental improvement on defense coupled with another year of Caleb Williams would be enough to get USC to the Playoff, but the defense still isn’t good enough to win anything of substance and Williams hasn’t been the same player he was a year ago when he won the Heisman.

5. Utah Utes (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12)

Last week: 4

You would have been hard-pressed to find a neutral observer who anticipated a 35-6 loss to Oregon inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. Was a blowout a possibility? With Utah’s offensive limitations and Oregon’s talent? Sure. But getting mauled at the line of scrimmage and soundly beat in every phase of the game is just not something that happens to a Kyle Whittingham-coached team at home. Utah’s flaws were too much to overcome against an Oregon team that looks like one of the four best in the country right now.

4. Oregon State Beavers (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12)

Last week: 3

The Beavers went to Tucson and lost 27-24 to the hottest team in the conference. It’s easy to look at the failed fake field goal attempt at the end of the first half and say that’s why Oregon State lost, but the Beavs also got a bit shaky in the fourth. The offense misfired on its first two drives of the fourth quarter, gave up lengthy punt returns, and then allowed a pair of touchdowns that iced the game.

3. Arizona Wildcats (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12)

Last week: 5

Ask every other coach in the conference and you’ll get the same answer. Arizona is the one team no one wants to play right now. The Wildcats have the talent, they have the belief, and they’re starting to get the results. Arizona gave up four sacks, lost the turnover battle, was outgained on a per-play basis, and still managed a three-point win over the No. 11 team in the country. Arizona made winning plays in all three phases of the game in the fourth quarter.

2. Washington Huskies (8-0, 5-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 1

Washington has struggled to handle two of the Pac-12’s bottom-feeders since beating Oregon. The Huskies need to lock in on defense or the unbeaten record won’t last much longer. Michael Penix Jr. regained a bit of his mojo, but UW wasn’t able to separate the way we saw it do time and time again earlier this season.

1. Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12)

Last week: 2

I ranked Oregon second in the preseason edition of this power ranking. At that time, I wrote Oregon could challenge for a College Football Playoff spot if the defensive moves worked the way Dan Lanning hoped they would. After battering Utah on the road, this Oregon team looks like it is barreling toward a rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 title game, and thus setting up a play-in game for the CFP. If the Ducks and Huskies met tomorrow, I’d take the Ducks — who were statistically Washington’s equal in Seattle on Oct. 14.