Avinash Kunnath: Stanford in the north, UCLA in the south, but only by a smidge in each place. That Cardinal defense still feels like the best unit in the conference. They wouldn't let UCF breathe and only gave out against Northwestern because their offense couldn't get anything done. Cal has shown potential but it's still very early and their tough games are ahead of them.
In the South, UCLA was impressive against more formidable competition--their Virginia game was a really good sign, and even though they were spotty against UNLV, they took care of business. USC has been merciless, and Arkansas State looks decent enough, but I'd give a slight edge to the Bruins.