Best of the West: Final power rankings of 2024 have CFP-bound teams on top, followed by Big 12 duo and UNLV

09.12.2024 19:06

EastBayTimes.com

The Best of the West offers fans a candid assessment of the top teams in the western third of the country — a collection of schools now scattered across five conferences: the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West.

These are the final rankings of the 2024 regular season.

The Hotline publishes a basketball version (for men and women) each week.

1. Oregon (13-0/9-0 Big Ten)

Last week: 1Result: beat Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten championshipNext up: vs. Ohio State-Tennessee winner in the Rose Bowl/CFPComment: The front seven was blown off the line of scrimmage repeatedly as Penn State rushed for 297 yards — a potential blueprint for future opponents that have comparable talent. And yet the Ducks never seemed in danger of losing thanks to an offense that approached unstoppable levels.

2. Arizona State (11-2/7-2 Big 12)

Last week: 2Result: beat Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championshipNext up: vs. Texas-Clemson winner in the Peach Bowl/CFPComment: The CFP quarterfinal sites are based on historical ties for conferences and geography for the schools. Boise State had priority over ASU due to its higher seed and was assigned to the Fiesta Bowl, leaving the Sun Devils to the Peach, where they will undoubtedly feel like the road team against Texas or Clemson.

3. Boise State (12-1/7-0 Mountain West)

Last week: 3Result: beat UNLV 21-7 in the Mountain West championshipNext up: vs. SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl/CFPComment: First things first: Heisman Trophy votes are due today, followed by the announcement of finalists and the ceremony on Saturday. At this point, Ashton Jeanty is the No. 2 betting favorite at 10-to-1, behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who is currently 1-to-25 to win, according to DraftKings. That’s right: 1-to-25.

4. Colorado (9-3/7-2 Big 12)

Last week: 4Result: Did not playNext up: vs. Brigham Young in the Alamo BowlComment: The Buffaloes are reportedly discussing a contract extension and raise for Deion Sanders, who has paid for himself many times over with the attention generated for the university in his first two seasons. We’ll track the timing of any agreement (or delay). The Hotline expects him back in Boulder, but Black Monday in the NFL is a month away.

5. Brigham Young (10-2/7-2 Big 12)

Last week: 5Result: Did not playNext up: vs. Colorado in the Alamo BowlComment: We recently addressed BYU’s baffling absence from the CFP at-large discussion and disagree strongly with the seven-position gap between the Cougars and SMU, especially given the result of the Week 2 matchup in Dallas and the key metrics, which also favor the Cougars. Was it the timing of BYU’s losses (late in the season)? If so, that should be a stated piece of the selection criteria.

6. UNLV (10-3/6-1 Mountain West)

Last week: 6Result: lost to Boise State 21-7 in Mountain West championshipNext up: vs. Cal in the LA BowlComment: Barry Odom’s departure (to Purdue) was as easy to see coming as a rough night at the tables on Fremont Street. Will the Rebels fill the void with a young, offensive-minded coach like coordinator Brennan Marion (or Oregon’s playcaller, Will Stein)? Or might they look for the next Odom, a veteran looking to recharge his career? The third option: A successful head coach at the FCS level.

7. Washington (6-6/4-5 Big Ten)

Last week: 7Result: Did not playNext up: vs. Louisville in the Sun BowlComment: The 15 bowl practices are far more important to the Huskies than the game itself. That was often the case in previous years for teams participating in second-tier bowls but is now indisputably true with the expanded playoff making the Sun and its peers even less relevant. Is there anything the bowl system can do? Probably not.

8. USC (6-6/4-5 Big Ten)

Last week: 8Result: Did not playNext up: vs. Texas A&M in the Las Vegas BowlComment: The Trojans could have drawn a matchup against coach Lincoln Riley’s former team (Oklahoma) or against former USC coach Lane Kiffin (Mississippi). Instead, they drew the Aggies in what could quickly turn into the opt-out bowl for players on both teams eyeing the NFL or transfer portal.

9. UCLA (5-7/3-6 Big Ten)

Last week: 9Result: Did not playNext up: Season completeComment: At least coach DeShaun Foster recognized his mistake and moved on from offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. His replacement, Indiana’s Tino Sunseri, is a clear upgrade.

10. Utah (5-7/2-7 Big 12)

Last week: 10Result: Did not playNext up: Season completeComment: Kyle Whittingham announced Sunday that he’s returning to the sideline for his 21st season. If the future Hall of Famer isn’t fully committed to changing his approach to roster construction (leaning into the portal) and offensive scheme (simplifying the playbook), the move could backfire. The Hotline is taking a wait-and-see position.

11. Cal (6-6/2-6 ACC)

Last week: 11Result: Did not playNext up: vs. UNLV in the LA BowlComment: The Bears didn’t lose their prized recruit, quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele, to Oregon solely because coach Justin Wilcox made a coordinator change just prior to signing day. But if Wilcox had initiated the staff switch ahead of time and named a replacement, perhaps they could have kept Sagapolutele. Regardless, it’s a significant blow.

12. Washington State (8-4/1-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 12Result: Did not playNext up: vs. Syracuse in the Holiday BowlComment: It’s clear that John Mateer is grateful to WSU for the opportunity and has a bond with his teammates and the community. If he doesn’t follow playcaller Ben Arbuckle to Oklahoma, the Cougars have a great chance to keep him for 2025. Given his talent and the state of the program, they need to break the bank with an NIL offer.

13. Colorado State (8-4/6-1 Mountain West)

Last week: 13Result: Did not playNext up: vs. Miami (Ohio) in Arizona BowlComment: The Rams hit the sweet spot with coach Jay Norvell. They were good enough for relevance in the Mountain West but not so good that they could lose him to a vacancy at the power conference level (e.g. UNLV and Barry Odom). At least, that’s how it looks currently.

14. Oregon State (5-7/1-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 14Result: Did not playNext up: Season completeComment: In 264 days, the Beavers open their season at home against the opponent that delivered OSU’s worst loss of 2024 (Cal). It will be a great measuring stick.

15. Arizona (4-8/2-7 Big 12)

Last week: 15Result: Did not playNext up: Season completeComment: Brent Brennan should spare no expense filling his staff vacancies, even if it means restructuring his own contract to clear cash for the three new coordinators. (We are joking, mostly.) His tenure in Tucson depends on those hires.

Also considered: Fresno State, New Mexico, San Jose State and Stanford

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