Fields: Championship Week West Coast Top 10

Posted on December 1, 2021


  By LaMarr Fields, SuperWest Sports

U tah kept its five-game winning streak alive with a win over Colorado last Saturday and will square off with the Ducks for a Rose Bowl berth on Friday.

BYU outlasted USC and now gets a week off as the Independent Cougars do not have a championship game.

Pac-12Oregon rebounded with a win over Oregon State, knocking the Beavers out of this ranking, while Utah State jumped back in after routing New Mexico.

So how do West Coast college football teams stack up this week? I’ve listed my Top 10 in reverse order below.


10. Utah State (9-3)

Utah State beat New Mexico 35-10 and will now face No. 21 San Diego State in the Mountain West Championship game Saturday.

The matchup caps a remarkable one-year turnaround under Blake Anderson after the firing of Gary Anderson.


9. Air Force (7-4)

Air Force did what it was supposed to do against UNLV, routing the struggling Rebels 48-14 to end a successful regular season.

However, a Utah State victory over New Mexico and a Boise State loss to No. 21 San Diego State locked the Falcons out of the Mountain West championship game.


8. Nevada (8-4)

Picked to win its Mountain West Division, Nevada finished third in the West despite recording notable wins over Cal and Boise State.

The Wolf Pack closed out their regular season with a 52-10 win over Colorado State to crown one of  Nevada’s best seasons since becoming an FBS program.


7. Arizona State (8-4)

The Sun Devils beat Arizona 38-15 to finish second in the Pac-12 South Division behind Utah.

Arizona State could have been in the thick of the South race, but tough losses to Oregon State and Washington State hurt them down the road.


6. UCLA (8-4)

UCLA beat up Cal 42-14 to close out a breakout regular season that had its highs and lows, defeating then-No. 16 LSU and losing to an unranked Fresno State team.

After two-straight losses to Oregon and Utah, however, Chip Kelly’s job appeared to be in jeopardy, but he seems likely to return for another year after the Bruins finished with three-straight wins.


5. Fresno State (9-3)

Fresno State beat San Jose State 40-9 to conclude a good—and nearly great—regular season, only to lose head coach Kalen DeBoer to Washington.

The Bulldogs nearly upset No. 11 Oregon in Eugene before outlasting No. 13 UCLA in Pasadena, but losses to Hawaii and Boise State brought them back down to earth.


4. Oregon (10-2)

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12No. 10 Oregon bounced back with a 38-29 win over Oregon State to earn a chance for revenge against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

The Ducks seemed poised to play in the College Football Playoff before the Utes embarrassed them in Salt Lake City.


3. San Diego State (10-1)

The Aztecs beat Boise State 27-16 last Friday and will face off against Utah State in the Mountain West Championship Game.

No. 19 San Diego State figures to land in a quality bowl, having lost only to Fresno State this season.


2. Utah (9-3)

No. 17 Utah handled their business against Colorado 28-13, setting up a rematch against Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Having played in two such title games in the last three years, a Rose Bowl berth is the only thing missing from Kyle Whittingham’s stellar Conference record, and there has been speculation it could lead to his retirement.


1. BYU (10-2)

The Cougars edged out a victory over USC 35-31 in the Los Angeles Coliseum, staving off a late comeback attempt by the Trojans.

The Cougars are ranked No. 12 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and are expected to be rewarded with a quality bowl game after this week’s bye.




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