USC has the sixth-best odds of making the College Football Playoff, and is currently the best team in the Pac-12. That’s according to the most recent update of ESPN’s Football Power Index.

With the conclusion of Week 2 action in college football, FPI got a fresh update. Once again, USC shot up the board.

The Trojans currently rank eighth nationally in ESPN’s simulation-based strength index, two spots above Utah (No. 10) and 24 spots above Oregon. USC (2-0) is also now the favorite to win the Pac-12 title. Utah opened the season as the Pac-12 favorite in FPI.

With a 66-14 win over Rice and then a 41-28 win over Stanford, USC has come screaming up the standings in FPI. In the preseason, USC got love from human polls as a middle-of-the-pack team. Folks wanted to see them prove it on the field, but generally believed in the potential.

FPI just wanted to see USC on the field, and had the Trojans ranked 35th nationally before their first game.

After the Rice win, USC shot up to No. 14.

Now, it’s up six more spots.

FPI gives USC a 19.7% chance to make the CFP in coach Lincoln Riley’s first season and a 5.3% chance of winning a national championship. Back in the summer, Utah was the Pac-12 team preseason FPI projections gave the best chance of making the CFP; USC’s percentage chance was negligible.

How quickly things change.

Here’s how the rest of the Pac-12 stands

  1. USC (8th nationally, previously 14th)
  2. Utah (10th, previously 19th)
  3. Washington (25th, previously 40th)
  4. Oregon (32nd, previously 44th)
  5. UCLA (45th, previously 35th)
  6. Oregon State (50th, previously 51st)
  7. Arizona State (53rd, previously 48th)
  8. Stanford (62nd, previously 61st)
  9. California (74th, no change)
  10. Washington State (76th, previously 89th)
  11. Arizona (80th, previously 69th)
  12. Colorado (104th, previously 96th)