Washington Huskies

If you don't like where you are in the power rankings, play better.

See last week's power rankings here.

This feels like an odd one.

1. Oregon: The Ducks showed seemingly effortless brilliance in a dominant victory over Colorado, but it wasn't a good weekend for the Ducks. They don't want the distance between themselves and everyone else to appear this vast. They want the conference to look strong, top to bottom. Losses by USC and Oregon State dinged the Ducks' BCS standing in terms of potential strength of schedule ratings down the road. And Kansas State and Notre Dame both posted impressive wins.

2. Oregon State: Picking the No. 2 team here wasn't easy. Stanford was considered, but the Cardinal barely slipped by Washington State at home. And the Beavers still have only one loss. The power rankings looks more at the short term, but the big picture keeps the Beavers here. By a thread. It feels like the visit from Arizona State will be a tester, particularly when there are now quarterback questions.

3. Stanford: The Cardinal muddled through a win against Washington State. They very well may muddle through a visit to Colorado on Saturday. The visit from Oregon State on Nov. 10 will begin a home stretch that will reveal just who Stanford is in 2012 (at Oregon on Nov. 17, at UCLA on Nov. 24).

4. Arizona: Matt Scott and Rich Rodriguez are making beautiful music together, but somebody needs to tip their cap to Wildcats defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. He's put together an opportunistic defense that just finds a way to do well with some questionable parts. Sure, USC had huge numbers. But the Wildcats also got stops that proved critical.

5. USC: The idea that the Trojans would fall into the middle of the Pac-12 power rankings never occurred to the Pac-12 blog in the preseason. What's notable is the sloppiness: turnovers and penalties. Sure, other teams have penalties. But the Trojans seem to get lots of penalties of choice -- personal fouls, taunting, lining up wrong.

6. Washington: There are two Huskies teams. The one that plays at home is worthy of a national ranking. The one that plays on the road is worthy of mockery. The next step for coach Steve Sarkisian is to make the Huskies into a team that plays like it's at home even when it's not. Up next is a Friday visit to flagging California.

7. UCLA: The win at Arizona State -- a clutch comeback one, no less -- feels like a potential corner-turner for the Bruins. Recall the horrid performance at California? That brought up some old UCLA bugaboos about road games. This win canceled those out nicely. Let's ask it ... maybe Jim Mora is the guy to actually end the football monopoly in L.A. Of course, the visit from Arizona on Saturday will provide a huge measuring stick in the South Division. The Bruins control their own destiny. If they win out, they go to the Pac-12 title game.

8. Arizona State: The schedule is getting tougher, and the Sun Devils are taking some hits. There was plenty of good to take away from the 45-43 loss to UCLA, but not so much on the defensive side of the ball. The Sun Devils could quickly right things if they can win at Oregon State.

9. Utah: Hard to say whether the blowout win over California was about the Utes finding their mojo after another 0-4 Pac-12 start -- just like last year -- or whether it was just a Cal team waving the white flag on its season. Maybe a little of both. But if the Utes can hold serve at home against Washington State, they will need to win just two of their final three to become bowl eligible. And one of those games is with Colorado.

10. Washington State: The Cougars were close at Stanford, but isn't being close what we sorta celebrated last year? The good news is how much better the defense is playing. The bad news is ... 10 sacks surrendered. And you got to see just how tough QB Jeff Tuel is. Getting hit that much and still playing well, passing for 401 yards and two touchdowns with no help from a running game.

11. California: Hey, Cal? Are you quitting on yourselves and coach Jeff Tedford? The performance at Utah suggests so.

12. Colorado: There is some good news. There are only four more games this season.

For the second time this season, Washington took advantage of an opportunity to send a message to the prospects the program is recruiting by knocking off a top-10 opponent on the Huskies' home field.

After watching Washington beat Oregon State, 20-17, Bellevue (Wash.) teammates Sean Constantine (a Washington commit) and Myles Jack (a UCLA commit) continue to feel the program is pointed in the right direction.

They shared the same sentiment with the other local prospects who were in the stands on unofficial visits. The Huskies’ win also impressed sophomore quarterback Ross Bowers (Bothell, Wash./Bothell) and junior running back Devante Downs (Mountlake Terrace, Wash./Mountlake Terrace), among others.

Washington didn’t have any official visitors Saturday, but it timed the win well, considering receiver commit Damore’ea Stringfellow (Moreno Valley, Calif./Rancho Verde) spent the weekend watching Nebraska beat Michigan, 23-9, during his official visit to Lincoln, Neb.

It was the kind of win that keeps kids committed and gives those who remain on the Huskies’ wish list something to consider.

Boom goes the bowl projections.

There are two schools of thought regarding bowl projections this week: (1) the optimist’s outlook, which believes the resume of an undefeated Oregon stands on its own and the computers will work themselves out if/when the Ducks are 13-0 and reward them with a berth in the national championship game. Or (2) the pessimist’s outlook, which curses USC and Oregon State for losing on Saturday (to good teams, but unranked teams nevertheless) -- and therefore minimizing Oregon’s already shaky computer-generated credentials.

We at the Pac-12 blog prefer the optimist’s approach. And we certainly never, ever curse.

So for now, we’re going to stick with the projection of Oregon in the national championship game with a perfect record and a two-loss Oregon State team in the Rose Bowl. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But that’s the best scenario in which two Pac-12 teams go to BCS games.

Remember, should Oregon go to the title game, the No. 2 team in the Pac-12 would have to be ranked in the top 14 to qualify for a BCS game. So what does that mean for teams such as USC and Oregon State or even a UCLA or Stanford? Simple: win. All of them have back-loaded games against ranked teams (actually, each other) that could propel them into the top 14.

Saturday’s UCLA-Arizona game is a lot more intriguing this week than it was last week -- especially since both have now returned to the Top 25.

The conference now has five bowl-eligible teams with Stanford and UCLA picking up their sixth wins, joining Oregon, Oregon State and USC as postseason qualifiers. The Arizona schools are on the precipice with five wins. Washington got back to .500 and needs two out of its next four (all against unranked teams, but three of four are on the road). And is Utah going to make another run? Cal and Washington State aren’t statistically eliminated yet, but come on. Buh-bye. Colorado is the only team we can officially rule out.

BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 7: Oregon vs. BCS 1 or 2
Rose Bowl Game, Jan. 1: Oregon State vs. Big Ten
Valero Alamo, Dec. 29: Stanford vs. Big 12
Bridgepoint Education Holiday, Dec. 27: Arizona vs. Big 12
Hyundai Sun, Dec. 31: USC vs. ACC
MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, Dec. 22: UCLA vs. MWC
Kraft Fight Hunger, Dec. 29: Washington vs. Navy
Gildan New Mexico, Dec. 15: Arizona State vs. MWC

It has to be unsettling for Steve Sarkisian, Justin Wilcox, Bishop Sankey and everyone else who rocks the purple and gold. Each game day they wake up and hope that team shows up; the one that is resilient, tough-minded, physical and plays with a bit of nastiness. But inconsistencies throughout Washington’s 4-4 season have left all of the above questioning exactly which team would show up each week.

Eight games into the season, the personality of the 2012 Washington Huskies is yet to be defined.

“The personality is we’ve been schizophrenic,” said Wilcox, Washington’s defensive coordinator. “Consistency on our part has to improve. We have to continue to find the reasons why. But that’s something that’s shown up every week. Speaking from our side of the ball, we’ve played better against certain styles of teams. But at the end of the day it’s confidence in your technique and scheme and abilities.”

Saturday night at CenturyLink Field -- that team showed up; the one that punches first and asks questions later; the one that dictates and isn’t dictated to. And for the second time this year the Huskies knocked off a top-10 team by topping the No. 7 Oregon State Beavers 20-17 -- prompting another field-storming from the fan base. In fact, it was one month ago to the day that the Huskies stunned No. 8 Stanford 17-13.

But that game also marked the last time they had picked up a victory. A three-game skid followed, including losses to ranked Oregon and USC and blowout loss last week at Arizona. On the south side of .500 and needing to inspire his team, Sarkisian got back to some basics in practice last week with some physical hitting drills usually reserved for fall camp.

“We needed [a victory] for our own well-being,” he said. “It wasn’t so much about the record, it was for what’s inside of us. Pride is a powerful thing. You earn pride. It’s not given. We earned it tonight.”

Moving forward, slowly but surely, Sarkisian said his team’s identity is starting to take shape. And Saturday night was a big step forward.

“I don’t doubt our toughness,” he said. “What I’m figuring out week after week is the maturity level. Which of our young players is growing up each week? A guy like Jaydon Mickens made a couple of plays and started to grow up. I’ve seen Kendyl Taylor start to grow up. Each week I feel like we’re getting one more guy and one more guy. That’s all going to help shape our personality. Until then, we’re going to continue to be a blue-collar, lunch-pail, hard-hat kind of team. And that’s OK. You can win that way. It just makes it a little harder.”

And Saturday wasn’t easy. Sankey rushed for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns against one of the top rushing defenses in the country while the defense intercepted Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion four times.

“I feel like we have our own personality,” Sankey said. “We’re continuing to develop that. This past week we had to get down to the nitty-gritty. We’re making strides each day, each week. This past week was a big week for us in getting back to the basics -- working hard and hitting. It paid off tonight.”

When points were at a premium, the Huskies held a 10-0 advantage at halftime following a 45-yard field goal from Travis Coons and a 1-yard touchdown run from Sankey. It was the first time this year that Oregon State (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) had been blanked in the first half.

“We couldn’t get anything going in the first half and we turned the ball over, so it was a two-fold problem,” Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. “Then we moved the ball [in the second half] and we still turned it over.”

This was Mannion’s first game back since having minor knee surgery three weeks ago. And he didn’t look good, completing 18 of 34 passes for 221 yards with one touchdown and four picks. Prior to this game, he had four interceptions for the season.

“I think [turnovers] probably will be the thing we regret the most,” Riley said. “Having the ball with some opportunities and turning the ball back to them when we had scoring opportunities. As you can see in a game like that, even if one of those opportunities, if one or two would have turned into field goals, it makes a big difference.”

It didn't help, either, that Markus Wheaton was knocked out of the game after taking a hard hit in the second quarter. Fellow receiver Brandin Cooks turned in another sensational performance, catching nine balls for 123 yards with a score.

Mannion was eventually replaced in the fourth quarter by Cody Vaz -- who had led the Beavers to a pair of victories during Mannion’s rehabilitation. Vaz sparked the offense with a seven-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Connor Hamlett that tied the game at 17-17.

But the Huskies moved the ball to the Oregon State 12 and Coons converted a 30-yard field goal with 1:20 left in the game.

Washington’s offensive struggles also continued. The Huskies were outgained 427-293 in total yards. Quarterback Keith Price was 18-of-30 for 194 yards with an interception. But winning the turnover battle by a 4-to-1 margin helps.

“At the end of the day, I don’t know how pretty it was,” Sarkisian said. “We had some penalties and things; that’s a good football team, obviously, in Oregon State. I was proud of the character our guys possessed, their ability to preserve with the game could have really started swaying in Oregon State’s favor when they notched it up at 10-10. But our defense continually came up with stops.”

With four consecutive games coming up against unranked teams, it stands to reason that the Huskies could probably end the year on a five-game win streak.

But then again, no one really knows for sure.

Kevin Gemmell talks with Washington running back Bishop Sankey after the Huskies' victory over Oregon State.

SEATTLE -- The Washington Huskies pulled another stunner at CenturyLink Field over a top-10 team from the Pac-12 North. Here’s how their 20-17 upset went down:

It was over when: Washington kicker Travis Coons connected on a 30-yard field goal with 1 minute, 26 seconds left, giving the Huskies a 20-17 advantage. The Beavers were able to move to the Washington 38 but couldn’t convert on fourth-and-19 with 25 seconds left in the game.

Game ball goes to: Washington running back Bishop Sankey, who rushed for two touchdowns and 92 tough yards against one of the best run defenses in the country.

Stat of the game: 8 -- total interceptions on the season for Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, who entered the game with four. You do the math. After the fourth, he was replaced by Cody Vaz.

Unsung hero: Washington’s Desmond Trufant led all players with 10 tackles, including nine solo stops and a tackle for a loss.

Second-guessing: Was this the right game to bring back Mannion? He looked hesitant and shaky most of the game. And while credit is due to the Washington defense for nabbing four interceptions, they were also bad throws from Mannion -- who looked much more like the 2011 Mannion than the 2012 model who had been efficient and took care of the ball.

What it means for Oregon State: The Beavers might still be in line for the Rose Bowl -- especially with USC losing today -- but they’ll take a big hit in the BCS standings for losing to an unranked team. Moving forward, do the Beavers (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) have a quarterback controversy?

What it means for Washington: The Huskies’ Jekyll-and-Hyde season continues. The last time they won a game, it was upending a top-10 team on Sept. 27. They had gone a month between wins, but now they’ve beaten another top-10 team. The offensive struggles continue, but Washington (4-4, 2-3) is back to .500 and a decent bowl game is still within reach.

Kevin Gemmell previews Oregon State at Washington.