After what was a pretty illustrative Week 4 throughout the Pac-12, this was probably the most reactive I’ve been in the QB Power Rankings to date. And the goal here is to be exactly that — reactive. This is not an exercise wherein we rank the most talented players. Who’s playing the best? Let’s get to it.

12. Brendon Lewis/JT Shrout/Owen McCown, Colorado

Prev. rank: 12

Moving on…

11. Emory Jones, Arizona State

Prev. rank: 10

In a battle between Utah and Arizona State, the Utes’ quarterback (Cameron Rising) exited with a 34-13 win and the highest QBR score of any league passer in Week 4 (95.4). Jones was saddled with the loss and the worst QBR score of any passer during the week, a ghastly 8.5. Jones threw two interceptions and completed less than 60% of his passes for the second time in the first four weeks — against both of ASU’s Power Five opponents. Teams have completely taken away Jones’ rushing threat, and without that dynamic piece of his game, he’s just not threatening anyone. A year ago, Jones had 815 rushing yards on 132 carries for the Florida Gators (sacks excluded). So far this season, he has 85 yards on 23 attempts (sacks excluded).

10. Tanner McKee, Stanford

Prev. rank: 6

Stanford has played three games thanks to an early bye. We’re still in the process of figuring out what this offense is, and already it has been hit by the injury bug. Losing EJ Smith will hurt McKee’s overall game. That being said, this wasn’t an offense operating at peak efficiency in the first place. Stanford bullied Colgate in its opener. Against the two FBS opponents faced so far — both of them league counterparts — Stanford has been outscored 52-21 in the first half. During those opening salvos, McKee has been picked off three times. When the games have been close, he hasn’t been sharp.

9. Jack Plummer, Cal

Prev. rank: 11

In the first quarter against Arizona, Plummer was 2-for-5 and lost 2 yards. From then on: 16-for-23 for 247 yards, three touchdowns, and no turnovers. Cal may have found something for the offense to build off of in its 49-31 win over Arizona.

8. Jayden de Laura, Arizona

Prev. rank: 8

In his first year with the Wildcats, de Laura is providing plenty of entertainment. Against the Golden Bears, he threw for 401 yards, two scores, and two interceptions while completing 27 of his 45 pass attempts. The UA put up 31 points and didn’t turn the ball over in the first half. Problem was the defense couldn’t stop a soul. We’ve gotten good and rough all throughout the year, and a lot of it has been pretty situational. With Arizona falling behind and the offense getting a bit more desperate to play catch-up, you saw forces and misses from de Laura, who likes to press for that big play a little too much when things are going sideways and tends to compound issues. When he’s in ideal situations, he’s genuinely been strong. He just hasn’t always been in ideal situations.

7. Chance Nolan, Oregon State

Prev. rank: 4

Four interceptions in a game that was right there for the taking. It was a rough go of things for Oregon State in Week 4, and for Nolan in particular. He’d been so good in the weeks leading up to the USC game. For the offense to have a performance like it had coincide with an off night from Caleb Williams… That’s going to be something that haunts the Beavers for the rest of the season.

6. Cameron Ward, Washington State

Prev. rank: 7

Ward moves up despite the loss and the back-breaking interception thrown at the end to seal things. I’m giving him a pass for the first of his two interceptions. He finished 37-for-48 for 375 yards and two touchdowns, adding another rushing score on the ground. Ward flashed brilliance throughout the game, evading Oregon defenders and dazzling with some nifty ball-handling. Put Washington State on TV more, you cowards. The people want to see Ward.

5. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA

Prev. rank: 9

UCLA’s fifth-year senior had the second-best QBR of any Pac-12 quarterback in Week 4, and is up to 12th nationally for the season. Against the Buffs, he didn’t make any mistakes. He led an offense that averaged 8 yards a play, completed 83% of his passes, threw a couple touchdowns, picked up some excellent yardage with his legs, and helped the Bruins to 4-0. He was sliding down this ranking throughout the first three weeks as UCLA won but looked less encouraging by the week doing so. Yes, the opponent was Colorado, which might be the worst team in college football this season, but I felt better about the Bruin offense coming out of the game than any during the previous three weeks.

4. Caleb Williams, USC

Prev. rank: 2

Statistically, it was Williams’ worst night of the season against Oregon State. He completed 44% of his passes and just missed all throughout the evening. Nothing alarming. Nothing that should have folks heading for the proverbial exits. He just had an off night — a talking point from coach Lincoln Riley in the days since the game that I’m good with. Even on an off night, Williams still led a touchdown drive at the end of the game to deliver the victory and move USC to 4-0. You still saw his brilliance. Like I wrote at the top: this isn’t a talent ranking, it’s about who’s playing better at the moment. Williams isn’t playing at the same level he was during the Trojans’ first two weeks, and I think a couple of guys had significantly better weeks. Hence the drop.

3. Cameron Rising, Utah

Prev. rank: 3

Rising just dissected the Arizona State secondary. His 95.4 QBR score for the week was the eighth-best in the country and tops throughout the Pac-12. Since the opener, Rising has nine touchdown passes and only one interception. He’s starting to develop some chemistry on the outside with wideout Devaughn Vele and has the offense humming.

2. Bo Nix, Oregon

Prev. rank: 5

There are few quarterbacks as hot as Nix is right now. In his last three games, Nix has 13 touchdowns and only one turnover. The interception — a pick-six for Washington State — was ugly, but the bounceback from it was incredibly impressive. Nix looks like a player reborn at Oregon. He has an offensive line to protect him, and a clear confidence in the receiving corps around him. Nix led the Ducks back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to win last Saturday, finishing the game 33-for-44 passing for a career-high 428 yards and three scores. He also added 30 yards on the ground. He threw what amounted to the game-winning touchdown pass on a third down, and converted a fourth down over the middle the possession prior to keep Oregon’s hope alive. Nix and the Ducks are flying high.

1. Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Prev. rank: 1

He’s the clear-cut top quarterback in the league right now. Penix is the nation’s leading passer, with nearly 1,400 yards in his first four games. He’s the highest-graded quarterback in the conference, per PFF. He’s thrown 12 touchdowns against just one interception. He’s made NFL throws every week. He’s spread the football around and kept everyone involved. He’s engineered one of the country’s most explosive offenses through four games, an outfit that is operating with historic scoring efficiency. Against Stanford, Penix had what looks like a pedestrian game compared to his other three outings and still tossed 309 yards and two scores.