October 20th 2024.
The Best of the West is a weekly ranking of the top teams in the western region of the country. This includes schools from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and Mountain West conferences. These rankings will be published every week on the Hotline during the regular season.
At the top of the list is Oregon, who had a dominating win over Purdue last week. However, it should be noted that Georgia is actually my number one team this week due to their tougher schedule. While Oregon has a perfect record, Georgia has played and won against tougher opponents on the road.
Brigham Young is ranked second after their thrilling victory against Oklahoma State. There is talk that this could be their year, as it marks the 40th anniversary of their only national title. However, it is too early to make any definite predictions.
Boise State remains in third place, even though they did not play last week. In fact, their upcoming game against UNLV could potentially be advantageous, as they will have had more time to prepare compared to the home team. This is especially important for a team that has already faced tough competition on the road like Oregon.
Washington State has moved up to fourth place after a solid win against Hawaii. However, their chances of making the College Football Playoff are slim, as they will need their rival Washington to win some key games in the Big Ten.
Colorado also had a big win last week, but it is unclear if they were that good or if their opponent, Arizona, was just that bad.
UNLV coach Barry Odom is in a good position after their win against Oregon State. But it's even better to be his agent, who will likely make a hefty commission on Odom's next contract.
Arizona State suffered a loss against Cincinnati, and their chances of becoming bowl-eligible are slim if their quarterback, Sam Leavitt, does not return soon.
USC drops to eighth place after a tough loss against Maryland. They will need to win three of their next five games to become bowl-eligible, which is not a guarantee.
Washington remains in ninth place, but their upcoming game against Indiana may be easier than expected as their opponent's quarterback is likely out with an injury.
San Jose State has moved up to tenth place after a win against Wyoming. Some may think this is too high, but after watching the teams below them play, it seems appropriate.
Arizona, Utah, Cal, Oregon State, and UCLA round out the bottom five places. UCLA, who was not ranked last week, had a solid win against Rutgers. But it took them seven games to finally show their potential.
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