Today, we continue our rankings of each position group in the Pac-12. We move on to the league's defensive lines.

Washington's defense, led by it's ferocious line, allowed 3.5 yards per rush this season, best in the Pac-12. Photo by Jesse Beals/Icon Sportswire

1. Washington: The Huskies were transcendent up front when pass-rush specialist Joe Mathis was healthy, racking up 24 sacks through the first six games while stonewalling the run. Most of Washington's quarterback pressure came without the assistance of extra blitzes from the second level, making the work of Elijah Qualls, Greg Gaines, and Vita Vea all the more impressive. Though Mathis' injury hurt the Huskies' rush, they still allowed only 3.5 yards per rush this season, a league low.

2. Utah: The Utes always seem to pack a serious punch up front, and 2016 has been no different. "Sack Lake City" returned: Utah led the Pac-12 with 40 sacks. Hunter Dimick paced the team with 14.5, but Lowell Lotulelei -- a surefire professional talent -- deserves his share of the credit for occupying and beating double teams all season long. Utah wasn't as good against the run as Washington, but the Utes allowed a steady 4.0 yards per carry.

3. Colorado: The preseason version of these rankings noted that the Buffs were maturing up front, and that continued to be the case this season. Let's chart Colorado's improvement: In 2014, the Buffs bled a league-worst 5.6 yards carry. Last season, they cut that number to 5.0 yards per rush. In 2016, the figure stands at 4.0 -- a testament to the impact that 325-pound stalwart Josh Tupou's return had on the lineup. Jordan Carrell, Samson Kafovalu, and Leo Jackson also delivered productive seasons, setting the table for pass-rush specialist Jimmie Gilbert.

4. USC: The glaring preseason question marks here extended well into September, especially after Stanford's Christian McCaffrey averaged more than 5.0 rushing yards before contact and Utah converted fourth downs at will against the Trojans. But USC's rebuilt unit stiffened once October arrived. By the time it was over, the Trojans allowed only 3.8 yards per rush in league play -- the best mark in the Pac-12. Porter Gustin (12 tackles for loss), often lined up in a three-point stance, was the biggest beneficiary of new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast's scheme.

5. Washington State: Hercules Mata'afa came through with a banner season highlighted by 12.5 tackles for loss. He led the way as the Cougars had to overcome the temporary loss caused by Robert Barber's suspension. Daniel Ekuale also played well in the trenches, helping Washington State make a significant improvement in run defense: The Cougars allowed 4.9 yards per carry in 2015, but only 4.1 yards per rush in 2016.

6. Stanford: Solomon Thomas (13 tackles for loss) delivered the elite season that he was expected to, and he anchored this Cardinal line alongside Harrison Phillips. Stanford was itching for more production from the rest of its players here a year after graduating both Aziz Shittu and Brennan Scarlett. Though that didn't necessarily come statistically, Jordan Watkins and Dylan Jackson complemented Thomas and Phillips, and the unit held up decently well.

7. UCLA: This was an immensely disappointing season for the Bruins, but their touted defensive line actually played fairly well -- especially if one discounts the October disaster against Utah, in which the Utes racked up 360 rushing yards. Aside from that game, UCLA was sturdy, allowing fewer than 4.0 yards per carry. The Bruins enjoyed a monster season from Takkarist McKinley (18 tackles for loss), and they certainly benefited from Eddie Vanderdoes' return on the interior. It's impossible to fully erase that one stinker, though.

8. Arizona State: JoJo Wicker, Tashon Smallwood, Viliami Latu, and Renell Wren are all productive players -- they combined for 33 tackles for loss -- but the Sun Devils' boom-or-bust defense busted too often. Arizona State couldn't control the line of scrimmage at critical junctures, suffering its most embarrassing failure when Arizona averaged 10.7 yards per rush in the Territorial Cup.

9. California: Cameron Saffle, James Looney, DeVante Wilson, and Tony Mekari combined for 25.5 tackles for loss, and Looney sealed the goal-line stand to beat Utah, but the Golden Bears allowed a horrific 6.2 yards per carry -- worst in the nation. Sure, much blame falls on a depleted linebacker corps, but that's bad for the line regardless.

10. Arizona: The vast majority of the Wildcats' defensive production came from the back levels of their defense. Sani Fuimaono, the line's leading tackler, ranked way down at No. 15 on the team in that category with only 14 stops. Parker Zellers did deliver three sacks, but there wasn't much else to write home about for a unit that gave up 5.0 yards per rush during conference play.

11. Oregon State: The Beavers received very little statistical production from their defensive line, as Phillip Napoleon led the way for the unit with only 11 stops. Oregon State allowed 5.3 yards per rush -- worse than last season -- and that's something that needs addressing for bowl eligibility to become a realistic goal in 2017.

12. Oregon: This had 'ouch' written all over it for the Ducks: They gave up 6.1 yards per carry in league play. Sophomore Justin Hollins registered 9.5 tackles for loss in front of explosive freshman linebacker Troy Dye, but the unit as a whole didn't succeed. Formerly touted prospect Canton Kaumatule retired in November.

Here's how the defensive lines were viewed in our preseason rankings of Pac-12 front sevens.