Best of the West rankings: Utah is No. 1, USC rises while Oregon fades and is that … could it be? … yes, it’s ASU

The Best of the West offers fans an unapologetic 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.

The rankings will be available weekly on the Hotline throughout the regular season. (We’ll publish a basketball version of the BOTW starting in November.)

All times Pacific.

1. Utah (1-0)

Last week: 2
Result: beat Southern Utah 49-0
Next up: vs.