Welcome to a new feature on the Hotline — an assessment of the eight teams in the rebuilt Pac-12 as if they were competing in the conference this season. We’ll even recognize one lucky team as the regular-season champion. The power rankings will be published each Sunday throughout the regular season.

(Here are last week’s rankings.)

The new Pac-12 is beginning to resemble the old Pac-12 in one unflattering fashion. It’s early November, and the conference is effectively (but not officially) eliminated from the College Football Playoff race.

Granted, the rebuilt Pac-12 doesn’t officially exist until next summer.

But the collection of eight football-playing schools scheduled to link arms would certainly have done their future home a brand-building favor by making a serious charge for the

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