Pac-12 power rankings: Boise State, Oregon State separate themselves atop Pac-12
Sep 28, 2026, 2:26 PM
The Pac-12 power rankings are becoming a little more clear after non-conference play. (Photo courtesy Utah State football)
(Photo courtesy Utah State football)
SALT LAKE CITY – Boise State has a firm grip on No. 1. The rest of the Pac-12 has some sorting out to do.
The league went 5-3 to close nonconference play, with Oregon State’s passing attack rolling, Colorado State’s defense springing more leaks, and Utah State finally climbing out of the power rankings basement.
Now comes the conference schedule — and a chance to find out which teams are ready to make a move.
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The Rams’ offense didn’t miss a beat without injured quarterback Hauss Hejny, but allowing 59 points to UTSA leaves plenty to fix before Oregon State visits. Utah State gets an even tougher assignment: a road trip to face the No. 22 Broncos.
Here’s how the league stacks up heading into Week 5.
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Week 5 Pac-12 Power Rankings
1. Boise State Broncos (3-1)
Boise State keeps looking like the league’s standard-bearer.
The Broncos systematically dismantled Western Michigan on the road, leaning on a backfield duo that is becoming a problem for opposing defenses. Quarterback Maddux Madsen completed 16 of 23 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns, while Dylan Riley controlled the pace with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
Tight end Matt Wagner led all receivers with seven catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Madsen completed 10 of his 16 passes to tight ends, giving the Broncos a reliable answer through the air to complement Riley’s work on the ground.
The defense was no slouch, either. Western Michigan didn’t convert a third down until late in the third quarter and finished a combined 2 of 14 on third and fourth downs. Boise State possessed the ball for 13:32 longer than the home team.
The win helped push the Broncos into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 22. They enter conference play as the team to beat.
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Week 4 result: Win at Western Michigan, 32-7
Week 5 matchup: Saturday vs. Utah State, 5:30 p.m. MDT on CBS Sports Network
2. Oregon State Beavers (2-2)
Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree are giving Oregon State plenty of reasons to believe it can contend for a Pac-12 title.
The Beavers rolled past UTEP behind another strong performance from Atkinson, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Ten Oregon State players caught a pass, showing the depth of an offense that is becoming difficult to contain.
Legree remains the headliner. The freshman finished with six catches for a game-high 109 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his four-game totals to 585 yards and six scores. He is second in the country in both categories.
Running back AJ Newberry kept UTEP from focusing entirely on the passing game, averaging 10.1 yards per carry and finishing with 111 yards and a touchdown.
A blowout of UTEP won’t settle the championship conversation, but the Beavers are building a convincing case for their place near the top. Colorado State’s struggling defense is next.
an incredible start to the season for Braden Atkinson 😳
he’s currently SECOND in passing yards per game (355.3) and THIRD in total passing yards (1,421) in all of college football 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kpPmMlVJQW
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 27, 2026
Week 4 result: Win at UTEP, 33-7
Week 5 matchup: Saturday at Colorado State, 4 p.m. on USA Network
3. Colorado State Rams (2-2)
Colorado State found out it could move the ball without Hauss Hejny. Finding enough stops was another matter.
Backup quarterback K’saan Farrar threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns, and Mel Brown opened the game with a 94-yard kickoff return for a score. Brown added a game-high 90 rushing yards, but even that kind of production couldn’t keep the Rams afloat against UTSA.
The takeaways that had helped CSU’s defense disappeared. The Rams didn’t force a turnover as the Roadrunners piled up 542 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per rush and 7.5 yards per play.
Special teams added to the trouble when Mekhi Anderson returned a second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Farrar had plenty of offensive help. Durell Robinson rushed for 43 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while Terence Smith caught six passes for 102 yards and a score.
That offense keeps the Rams dangerous — and in the No. 3 spot for now. But with Atkinson and Oregon State coming to town, the defense is running out of time to get right.
Colorado State with two explosive plays to open up the scoring 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SFuSQE1bQg
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 26, 2026
Week 4 result: Loss at UTSA, 59-45
Week 5 matchup: Saturday vs. Oregon State, 4 p.m. on USA Network
4. Fresno State Bulldogs (3-1)
Fresno State is knocking on the door of the top three, and its balance is a big reason why.
The Bulldogs overcame a slow defensive start against Rice, then let quarterback Jayden Mandal and running back Rayshon Luke take over. Mandal finished with 210 passing yards and three touchdowns, along with 57 rushing yards. Luke averaged 15.2 yards per carry to finish with 167 yards and a touchdown.
Mandal enters conference play with 789 passing yards, six touchdowns and just one interception. With Luke supplying big plays on the ground, the Bulldogs have more than one way to get their offense going.
The defense remains their strongest selling point. Fresno State leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing 19 points per game. Linebacker K’Vion Thunderbird ranks third in the conference with 32 tackles, while defensive lineman Dylan Hamsten is second with four tackles for loss.
A road win over Washington State would strengthen the Bulldogs’ case for moving up — especially if Colorado State’s defense continues to struggle.
back to the checkerboard 👉 pic.twitter.com/pVaG5BNFit
— Fresno State Football (@FresnoStateFB) September 27, 2026
Week 4 result: Win vs. Rice, 38-24
Week 5 matchup: Saturday at Washington State, 7:30 p.m. on USA Network
5. Texas State Bobcats (2-2)
Texas State did exactly what it needed to do against an overmatched Incarnate Word team: take control early and leave no doubt.
The Bobcats scored 42 points in the first half as quarterback Brad Jackson picked apart the Cardinals. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 244 yards and five touchdowns, throwing a scoring pass to five different receivers.
Zechariah Sample and Chris Dawn Jr. each finished with four catches and a touchdown. Torrance Burgess Jr. led the ground attack with 140 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown run.
The defense added four sacks and two interceptions, forcing seven punts and holding Incarnate Word to 6 of 20 on third down. Linebacker Ayden Jones led the Bobcats with seven tackles.
Texas State is starting to look dangerous, but the level of competition matters. A conference-opening trip to San Diego State should offer a better read on where the Bobcats belong.
DEPTH ON DISPLAY 💥
Brad Jackson has thrown FIVE touchdown passes & SIX different Bobcats have found the end zone before halftime! pic.twitter.com/35h0q215yZ
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 27, 2026
Week 4 result: Win vs. Incarnate Word, 63-10
Week 5 matchup: Saturday at San Diego State, 8:30 p.m. on The CW
6. San Diego State Aztecs (1-3)
San Diego State’s margin for staying out of the bottom two is getting thin.
The Aztecs dropped their third straight game as the offense struggled to sustain a threat and the defense struggled to get off the field. Toledo converted 8 of 15 third downs and piled up 494 yards to improve to 3-1.
Quarterback Jayden Denegal completed 19 of 31 passes for 206 yards, a touchdown and an interception before giving way to Draiden Trudeau with the game out of reach. Trudeau finished 4 of 5 for 53 yards and a touchdown.
The running game offered little relief. San Diego State managed just 48 rushing yards and averaged fewer than 2 yards per attempt.
The Aztecs need more than a change of opponent to turn this around. With Texas State bringing an offense fresh off a 63-point performance, another difficult test awaits.
@AztecFootball SOMEHOW keeps this inbounds and San Diego State get their first TD of the day pic.twitter.com/S3mKxGT5lY
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 26, 2026
Week 4 result: Loss at Toledo, 41-16
Week 5 matchup: Saturday vs. Texas State, 8:30 p.m. on The CW
7. Utah State Aggies (1-3)
Utah State is out of the basement — and finally has an offensive performance it can build on.
The Aggies weren’t world-beaters against Troy, but the rushing attack found some traction and quarterback Grady Brosterhous looked comfortable in his third start.
Javen Jacobs carried 14 times for 84 yards and scored Utah State’s first rushing touchdown of the season. Brosterhous completed 18 of 28 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, setting career highs in completions and passing yards. He also rushed for a career-best 89 yards to lead the team.
Javon Robinson and Eli Wood caught the touchdown passes, giving an offense that had struggled to find its footing some needed signs of progress.
RELATED: Brevin Hamblin named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week
The defense delivered again. Brevin Hamblin led the way with a season-high 12 tackles, and the Aggies turned their stops into takeaways with three interceptions. Utah State finished with a positive turnover margin for the first time this season.
There won’t be much time to enjoy the breakthrough. A road trip to No. 22 Boise State will test just how much ground the Aggies have gained.
a career performance for Grady Brosterhous to help secure the first win of the season for @USUFootball 🪨 pic.twitter.com/qtLFh5wY1q
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 28, 2026
Week 4 result: Win vs. Troy, 21-10
Week 5 matchup: Saturday at No. 22 Boise State, 5:30 p.m. MDT on CBS Sports Network
8. Washington State Cougars (1-3)
Washington State needs answers on both sides of the ball, and conference play won’t wait.
Quarterback Caden Pinnick took three sacks and threw another interception in a home loss to Arizona. He now has four interceptions against three touchdown passes, while the Cougars continue to struggle to generate consistent offense.
Pinnick’s legs have been a bright spot. His 201 rushing yards rank 10th in the Pac-12, and his three rushing touchdowns are tied for third. Running back Kirby Vorhees has added 210 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The defense hasn’t supplied much help in the turnover department, forcing the fewest in the league. Opponents have converted 41.1% of their third downs, the second-worst mark in the conference.
Washington State made some progress up front against Arizona: Three of its four sacks this season came in that game.
The Cougars need that pressure to become a trend. An improving Fresno State team arrives in Pullman on Saturday with enough offensive balance to make another uneven performance costly.
a cougs pick six AND a 14-0 lead before the end of Q1 😤 pic.twitter.com/4s7dHAksNx
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) September 27, 2026
Week 4 result: Loss vs. Arizona, 34-24
Week 5 matchup: Saturday vs. Fresno State, 7:30 p.m. on USA Network
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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.
