UNDATED (AP) — The first month of the college football season has produced plenty of surprises. Teams with high expectations have fallen from the rankings. Not so much in the Southeastern Conference. This weekend could see that change. No. 1 Alabama hosts No. 12 Mississippi and No. 8 Arkansas visits No. 2 Georgia. Those are two of the four games matching ranked teams on the schedule this week.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Drake London has been the nation’s most productive receiver in the first month of the college football season, which means the Southern California star is getting hit a whole lot more than the average wideout. But there’s nothing average about London, the 6-foot-5 former Trojans basketball player whose sole concentration on football this fall has propelled him to this monster start. London has a physical, winning mentality on a .500 team in turmoil. He has already racked up 39 catches for 540 yards while scoring three TDs as the Trojans head to Colorado for the next stop on their roller coaster ride of a season.

UNDATED (AP) — Arizona State faces No. 20 UCLA in what could be one of the Pac-12’s best early season games. Two of the favorites to win the Pac-12 South share the division lead with Utah and are coming off impressive opening conference wins. The Bruins are one of the nation’s best against the run, and the Sun Devils are one of the best at running the ball, so this will be a battle of strengths. No. 3 Oregon also faces a stiff test against Stanford. The winner of this game has gone on to win the Pac-12 North seven of the past 10 seasons.

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — No. 3 Oregon has thrived early this season by capitalizing on quarterback mistakes. Stanford QB Tanner McKee has done an impressive job avoiding them in his first year as a starter. The Ducks travel to take on the Cardinal this weekend and the winner could be determined by which of those trends continues. Oregon overcame some shaky moments in its conference opener before beating Arizona 41-19 thanks in large part to five interceptions. McKee hasn’t thrown an interception all season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels are the top two dual-threat quarterbacks in the Pac-12. They will also be the focal point in a pivotal South Division game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. Thompson-Robinson is tied for the conference lead with nine touchdown passes and has the No. 20 Bruins off to their best start since 2015. Daniels leads the conference in completion percentage among starting quarterbacks. Both have been just as lethal when they run. Daniels is averaging 6.9 yards per carry and has two touchdowns. Thompson-Robinson also has two rushing TDs and has the most rushing attempts among quarterbacks.

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Buffaloes are 0-14 all-time against Southern California heading into their game at Folsom Field this weekend. The Buffaloes enter the game a 7 1/2-point underdog. The Trojans are coming off a loss to Oregon State. It was the first time the Beavers beat USC in Los Angeles since 1960. The Buffs are 0-7 at home against the Trojans. That includes a 2019 game in which USC quarterback Kedon Slovis helped the Trojans rally from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit for a 35-31 win. Slovis had 406 yards and four TDs in that contest.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon State Beavers are back at home Saturday against Washington on a mission to prove their 45-27 thumping of the Trojans wasn’t a fluke. Oregon State is currently second in the Pac-12 North standings behind undefeated Oregon. Washington is third. Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith is in his fourth year and it appears at least early in the season that his rebuilding of the Beavers is paying off. 

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Chase Garbers is on the cusp of breaking California legend Joe Kapp’s record for career rushing yards by a quarterback. Garbers is also about to slip past Aaron Rodgers on the Golden Bears’ list for touchdown passes. There hasn’t been much else to celebrate for coach Justin Wilcox’s team through the first month of the season. The Bears head into Saturday’s game against Washington State having lost three of four, including their Pac-12 opener in Washington. California’s lone win so far came against Sacramento State of the FCS.

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