Pac-12 power rankings: Boise State plants its flag as the reborn conference stumbles to a 2-6 start
Sep 9, 2026, 1:29 PM | Updated: 1:50 pm
Week 2 Pac-12 Power Rankings (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The reimagined Pac-12 Conference got off to a difficult start in 2026, thanks in large part to five of its eight teams facing ranked opponents in Week 1.
Conference favorite Boise State looked strong in a one-score loss to No. 2 Oregon, but not everybody was so fortunate.
our week one Players of the Week 🙌@CSUFootball‘s Hauss Hejny & Oumar Diomande, @BeaverFootball‘s Jesse Legree and @aztecFB‘s Jaylon Hawkins all earn honors to kickoff the season.
learn more: https://t.co/BldlobHORX pic.twitter.com/r3WXmOMwSO
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 8, 2026
Pac-12 teams went a combined 2-6 in the league’s debut weekend — wins came only from San Diego State and Colorado State — and the schedule doesn’t soften much from here.
Still, Boise State’s performance in Eugene was exactly the kind of statement the reborn conference needed to make. As the Broncos showed, this Pac-12 may not win every marquee nonconference game, but it intends to compete in them.
Here’s where all eight teams stand heading into Week 2.
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Week 2 Pac-12 Power Rankings
1. Boise State Broncos (0-1)
Boise State surely would have preferred escaping a date with the Ducks with a victory, but a strong showing against the nation’s No. 2 team proved the Broncos begin the season as the cream of the Pac-12 crop.
The Broncos looked stout in the trenches against a stacked Oregon roster while building a 17-7 first-half lead.
BRONCOS STRIKE AGAIN 🚨
Maddux Madsen converts on fourth down with a strike to Matt Wagner.
watch Q4 now 📺➡️ CBS pic.twitter.com/z35vp25lKt
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 5, 2026
Quarterback Maddux Madsen was solid, throwing for 181 yards and three touchdowns while committing no turnovers. Sire Gaines, Matt Wagner and Cam Bates each caught touchdown passes.
Week 1 result: Loss vs. No. 2 Oregon, 34-27
Week 2 matchup: Saturday vs. Memphis, 4 p.m. on USA Network
2. San Diego State Aztecs (1-0)
SDSU exits Week 1 with one of two conference victories after blowing out FCS Portland State. Given Utah State’s result against Idaho State, no opponent can be overlooked.
The Aztecs scored touchdowns on four consecutive first-half possessions after recovering from a slow start. Quarterback Jayden Denegal connected with two different receivers for touchdown passes, and Jaylon Hawkins broke loose for a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter.
Jaylon Hawkins takes it ALL THE WAY.@AztecFB leads 36-13 early in the second half.
📺 @usasports pic.twitter.com/ozntR00NsA
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 6, 2026
Running back Lucky Sutton dominated, carrying the ball 18 times for 58 yards and three touchdowns.
Week 1 result: Win vs. Portland State, 53-20
Week 2 matchup: Saturday @ UCLA, 5:15 p.m. on Big Ten Network
3. Colorado State Rams (1-0)
Head coach Jim Mora and the Rams made a Week 1 statement, dismantling former Mountain West foe Wyoming in a blowout.
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Hauss Hejny threw for 214 yards and five touchdowns as CSU showcased a dramatically improved offense. Wide receiver Reginald “RJ” Vick Jr. caught six passes for a team-high 75 yards and three touchdowns.
.@CSUFootball is LOCKED on both sides of the ball 🔒
📺 @usasports pic.twitter.com/eakbmAJnSX
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 6, 2026
The defense also showed up, forcing seven tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
Week 1 result: Win vs. Wyoming, 35-13
Week 2 matchup: Saturday vs. Southern Utah, 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
4. Washington State Cougars (0-1)
Washington State began the year with an emotional Apple Cup rivalry game against the Huskies but struggled to generate offensive pressure in a two-score loss.
The Cougars’ defense limited Washington to just 10 points through three quarters, though a rough final period made the final numbers look worse than they were.
cougs are on the board in the Apple Cup 🙌 https://t.co/ba2cZOwTEX
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 6, 2026
Quarterback Caden Pinnick didn’t quiet the doubters, completing 16 of 25 passes for 142 yards and two interceptions. The dual-threat starter added 61 rushing yards on 14 carries. Daniel Blood led all receivers with five catches for 57 yards.
Week 1 result: Loss vs. No. 19 Washington, 24-10
Week 2 matchup: Saturday at Kansas State, 10 a.m. on TNT
5. Oregon State Beavers (0-1)
Oregon State got off to a slow start, falling behind 19-7 at halftime before playing largely even football with the Cougars in the final 30 minutes.
The Beavers rolled up 402 yards of total offense, with quarterback Braden Atkinson’s 376 passing yards leading the way. Atkinson connected with Jesse Legree five times for 126 yards and his lone touchdown pass.
🎯🎯🎯 @Braden_Atkinson finds @jlegree24 for a 71 yard pass 🔥
📺 @ESPN pic.twitter.com/ist3UWgomV
— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) September 5, 2026
Oregon State’s defense generated two turnovers but will need to be stouter against the run in the coming weeks.
Week 1 result: Loss vs. No. 24 Houston, 33-20
Week 2 matchup: Saturday vs. No. 13 Texas Tech, 5:30 p.m. on CBS
6. Texas State Bobcats (0-1)
There were plenty of questions about Texas State’s defense coming into the season, and a 52-point drubbing at the hands of the Longhorns only highlighted the concerns.
The Bobcats were dissected by probable first-round NFL draft pick Arch Manning, giving up 516 yards of total offense while failing to force a single turnover.
Texas State’s offense never got on track. Brad Jackson completed 15 of 23 passes for 150 yards and one interception. Running back Davian Jackson scored the Bobcats’ only touchdown.
Week 1 result: Loss vs. No. 4 Texas, 59-7
Week 2 matchup: Saturday vs. UTSA, 1:30 p.m. on The CW
7. Fresno State Bulldogs (0-1)
Do the Bulldogs have a quarterback problem?
A season-opening matchup with No. 14 USC — a program that had already played in Week 0 — proved to be a massive mismatch. The Bulldogs didn’t stand a chance once the momentum started to build for Southern California.
More concerning for Fresno State is the underwhelming performance of junior quarterback Jayden Mandal. Mandal completed 7 of 15 passes for 77 yards and an interception while looking flustered and rushed by the Trojans’ pass rush all night.
Week 1 result: Loss vs. No. 14 Southern California, 39-0
Week 2 matchup: Saturday vs. Sacramento State, 8:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
8. Utah State Aggies (0-1)
Perhaps the week’s most disappointing result, Utah State came out flat — leading to the program’s second loss to an FCS team since 2022, when USU fell to Weber State.
McCae Hillstead entered the season as the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback but couldn’t overcome an arm injury he had been dealing with during the week. The redshirt junior started well enough, but his accuracy quickly became a problem, leading to three interceptions and a late benching in favor of Grady Brosterhous.
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Fortunately for the Aggies, they have nowhere to go but up. Unfortunately, back-to-back road dates against Top 20 programs could put the Aggies in an early hole.
Week 1 result: Loss vs. Idaho State, 29-17
Week 2 matchup: Saturday vs. Washington, 1:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
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USU travels to Seattle to face the No. 19 Washington Huskies on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. MT.
Find Utah State football’s entire 2026 schedule here.
Find the entire 2026 Pac-12 schedule here.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.
