Oregon
So far in this young season, Oregon looks the best. They have blown out all of their opponents thus far, including a decisive 46-27 victory over Michigan State, who was ranked in the top five during the matchup. Marcus Mariota has played very well so far, especially from the pocket, and true freshman Royce Freeman has been a welcome addition to the already dynamic backfield, leading the team in rushing.
However, they are not perfect. One thing the Ducks need to work on is their slow starts. Oregon was down 27-18 to the Spartans early in the 3rd quarter, and Wyoming held a 7-0 lead after the first quarter on Saturday. They’ve been able to pull it back together quickly and pull away from their opponents, but in the tough Pac-12, but if they run into a hot offensive team, they will need to have stronger starts to seal a Pac-12 championship.
USC
USC started very hot, destroying Fresno State in the season opener and defeated Stanford to take an early lead in the conference. However, all of that momentum came to a halt on Saturday, when the Trojans lost 37-31 to Boston College.
Cody Kessler has looked incredible all season, throwing for 829 yards and eight touchdowns through three games. The Trojan receivers have also played very well. However, the running game sputtered against the Eagles, rushing for only 20 total yards on the night.
The defense had shown they could battle in the trenches, holding Stanford to only 128 rushing yards, but Boston College also showed the holes in the unit, gashing USC for 452 yards on the ground.
Boston College was a non-conference loss, so this doesn't affect USC's Pac-12 Championship hopes, but it certainly puts a damper on their playoff chances, and shows that they have issues they still need to work out before they get into the heart of conference play.
Stanford
It’s tough to still gauge how good Stanford will be. It’s obvious that their defense is still stout, as they’ve shut out their two lesser opponents, and held USC to only 10 points. However, their offense is still leaving a lot to be desired, especially on the ground.
As a team that prides itself on the running game, they have not found a consistent back to carry the load. Barry Sanders has flashed some potential, rushing for 92 yards on Saturday against Army, but it is yet to be seen if he will be the full time back. Kevin Hogen has shown improvement as a passer, and Ty Montgomery and Devon Cajuste are proving as reliable targets, so coach David Shaw may need to rely on the passing game as a focal point moving forward.
UCLA
Many analysts thought UCLA would be serious contenders for the Pac-12 title coming into this season, but they have looked a lot better on paper this season than what they have actually done on the field, and it will not get any easier.
After close victories over Virginia and Memphis, both teams they should not have struggled against, Brett Hundley suffered an elbow injury against Texas in another close victory, where after the Longhorns were demolished by BYU, looked to be easier on paper.
A lot of the Bruins issues stem from quarterback and offensive line play. The Bruins, through two games, had allowed eight sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Issues like these will need to be fixed when they have to face players like Leonard Williams of USC, and the vaunted Oregon defensive front.
Jerry Neuheisel played pretty well in relief for Hundley, especially on the final drive against the Longhorns, but if he he has to play significant time, he will need to play a lot better if he wants to keep the Bruins in contention.
Arizona State
The Sun Devils are a darkhorse contender for the title. They have not played anyone of major significance yet, so it’s hard to see where they stand. However, many expected an explosive offense from them in 2014, with Taylor Kelly at quarterback, D.J. Foster in the backfield, and superstar receiver Jaelen Strong. They have not disappointed, posting 103 points through their first two games, and started hot against Colorado.
The Sun Devils first true test will come September 25th against UCLA, where we will get an opportunity to see which of the two teams is in better shape to win the conference.