Pac-12 Power Ranking: The Cardinal Rule to No. 1

Harold Bernard, Cameron Fleming and David Parry celebrate Stanford's upset of then-No. 1 Oregon. (AP)

Here's the CBSSports.com Rapid Reports Pac-12 power ranking:

1. Stanford (9-2, 7-1): When Jim Harbaugh brought all that toughness with him to the Farm, we had no idea he'd leave so much when he left. But the Cardinal stood bravely in the face of danger -- how many weapons does Oregon have? -- and handed the Ducks their first loss in 13 games. Stanford withstood the lightning-quick Oregon attack by bringing the thunder, and sure, it took a missed field goal in overtime to put the Cardinal over the top. But they're there. Last week's ranking: 2. Next up: at No. 15 UCLA, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox).

2. Oregon (10-1, 7-1 Pac-12): Reports that Chip Kelly's head exploded were greatly exagerrated, but we would not like to be the Ducks in meetings this week. Oregon had a dance with destiny and Stanford stepped on its webbed feet. Can the Ducks regain their footing in a tough not-so-Civil War matchup next? Last week's ranking: 1. Next up: at No. 16 Oregon State, Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network).

3. Oregon State (8-2, 6-2): Getting a win over the bitter rival Ducks would be huge, like what Terron Ward has been to the Oregon State offense in recent weeks. Last week's ranking: 3. Next up: vs. No. 5 Oregon, Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Network).

4. UCLA (9-2, 6-2): In one fell swoop, the Bruins knocked the Trojans out of the top 25, knocked Matt Barkley out of the game and knocked USC off its high horse. And Traveler is a mighty big mascot. The fallout from UCLA's win, its first over the Trojans since 2006 and just second in 14 years, won't be felt for a while. But if the Bruins do end up reclaiming the battlefield that is Los Angeles, they can point to this day. Last week's ranking: 4. Next up: vs. No. 11 Stanford, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox).

5. Arizona (7-4, 4-4): With Matt Scott winning national headlines not for throwing touchdowns but for throwing up, many are ignoring Rich Rodriguez's wildly successful freshman season in the desert. Who would've thought that Arizona, which went 3-8 last season, could rebound so quickly? Last week's ranking: 5. Next up: vs. Arizona State, Friday, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

6. Washington (7-4, 5-3): The Huskies have very quietly won four straight. Even quieter? Washington's first half against Colorado, when the Buffaloes held them scoreless for the first 28 minutes. Still, in the wacky and wonderful Pac-12, wins are wins and the Huskies are on their way to eight for the first time since 2001. Last week's ranking: 7. Next up: at Washington State, Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox).

7. Southern Cal (7-4, 5-4): Lane Kiffin says he has assurances from Pat Haden that he'll be retained in 2013 to lead the Trojans. We'll see what happens next now that Matt Barkley has been ruled out of Saturday night's game against No. 1 Notre Dame. Last week's ranking: 6. Next up: vs. No. 1 Notre Dame, Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ABC).

8. Arizona State (6-5, 4-4): The Sun Devils had a tough time with their recent Pac-12 slate, which included Oregon, UCLA, Oregon State and USC, but who better to cure those ills than Washington State? The Cougars rolled over for Taylor Kelly and the ASU offense, as Kelly hit 21 of 24 passes and threw four touchdowns. Already bowl eligible, the Sun Devils can cement their status as an improving team under Todd Graham with a win against Arizona. Last week's ranking: 7. Next up: at Arizona, Friday, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN).

9. Utah (4-7, 2-6): Six losses in eight games have Utes fans clamoring from the days of old, when the schedule was filled with Mountain West also-rans. Now, the Pac-12 is teaching Utah that it's a brand new day, and it's stormy and daunting. Last week's ranking: 9. Next up: at Colorado, Friday, 3 p.m. ET (FX).

10. Cal (3-9, 2-7): The only good thing about the Bears' 62-14 season-ending loss to Oregon State was that it happened on the road and not in front of their renovated digs. Could Jeff Tedford suvived yet another disaster in front of frustrated Bears fans? Last week's ranking: 10. Next up: Season complete

11. Washington State (2-9, 0-8): Mike Leach, we thought we knew you. Expectations were high when The Pirate took over Washington State, but if things keep going this way -- the Cougars scored zero points in the first 59 minutes of their 46-7 loss to Arizona State -- he could get the hook quickly. Last week's ranking: 11. Next up: vs. Washington, Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox).

12. Colorado (1-10, 1-7): What more do we need to say about these Buffaloes? They're bad, and mercifully, the season ends soon. Last week's ranking: 12. Next up: vs. Utah, Friday, 3 p.m. ET (FX).

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