| USC QB Matt Barkley was all smiles after throwing six touchdown passes in the Trojans 50-6 win over Colorado. (US Presswire) |
Here's the latest on the conference's top players who are projected to star on Sundays.
1. QB Matt Barkley, 6-2, 220, USC
Why he has the top spot: Barkley made zero mistakes in the Trojans' 50-6 win over Colorado. Well, he did make one, the threw an incomplete pass in the second quarter, but other than that, the senior QB was perfect. Barkley went 19 of 20 for 298 yards. What is more impressive is the fact six of Barkley's 19 completions went for touchdowns. The record-setting QB now has 102 touchdown passes in his career, the most in Pac-12 history.
Season stats (seven games): 140 of 213, 1,773 yards, 22 touchdowns.
Player ranking: Barkley is ranked 4th overall and is the 2nd-highest rated QB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings.
Up next: Barkley might have wanted to save a few of those touchdown passes for Saturday's game against Arizona, which could turn into a shootout. The Wildcats' offense is as good as their defense is bad. Arizona has the second-highest scoring offense in the Pac-12 (39.1 ppg), but the Wildcats' defense surrenders the second-most points (30.4 ppg).
2. LB Chase Thomas, 6-4, 248, Stanford
Why he has the second spot: Thomas was everywhere in Stanford's 21-3 win over Cal on Saturday. The senior linebacker tallied seven tackles against the Golden Bears, including 4 TFLs and a sack. For most defensive players that's a solid game right there, but Thomas also added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The fumble recovery was Thomas' second in as many weeks. Overall, the Stanford defense limited Cal to just three yards rushing, the seventh-fewest rushing yards allowed in school history.
Season stats (seven games): 42 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10 TFLs, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 touchdown.
Player ranking: Thomas is ranked 41st overall and is the 4th-highest OLB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings.
Up next: After what the Cardinal did to Cal, things could get ugly on Saturday -- or pretty if you're a Thomas fan -- when Stanford hosts Washington State. The Cougars' offense has struggled all season. Quarterbacks Jeff Tuel and Connor Halliday have combined to throw the second-most interceptions in the country. They've also been sacked a lot, 24 times to be exact, which is the seventh worst total in the nation.
3. RB Stepfan Taylor, 5-11, 215, Stanford
Why he has the third spot: Taylor had slightly more success than Cal did running the ball on Saturday. While the Bears only totaled three yards rushing, Stanford's senior running back ran for a career-high 189 yards on 28 carries. To put Cal's three-yard rushing total in perspective, Taylor had three or more yards on 22 of his 28 carries. The senior also scored the Cardinal's first road offensive touchdown with a 7-yard run in the first quarter. Stanford had gone eight quarters without a road offensive TD this season.
Season stats (seven games): 175 carries, 846 yards, 6 touchdowns; 21 receptions, 115 yards, 1 touchdown.
Player ranking: Taylor is ranked 84th overall and is the 5th-highest RB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings.
Up next: After running all over Cal, there's a good chance Taylor will be able to do the same thing against Washington State on Saturday. The Cougars have a porous run defense, surrendering 175.1 rush yards per game, a number that ranks them 11th in the Pac-12.
Keep an eye on: QB Matt Scott, 6-3, 196, Arizona
Why you should watch him: Barkley might be the best NFL prospect in the Pac-12, but Scott's probably the most exciting to watch. The dual-threat QB threw for 256 yards, rushed for 43 yards and and totaled five touchdowns -- four pass, one rush -- in the Wildcats' 52-17 rout of Washington.
Season stats (six games): 200 of 311, 2,355 yards, 17 touchdowns; 65 carries, 265 yards, 3 touchdowns.
Player ranking: Scott is ranked 172nd overall and is the 12th-highest rated QB in CBSSports.com's latest player rankings.
Up next: Speaking of Barkley, Scott will be on the same field as him on Saturday when the Wildcats host the No. 10 Trojans. Barkley and Scott are No. 1 and 2 in the Pac-12 in touchdown passes and No. 1 and 3 in passing yards per game, so basically, you should expect some fireworks on Saturday.
For all the Pac-12 news you can handle, follow @CBSSportsPac12, @JohnBreech, and @TheCoolSub