Pac-12 Picks: Week Four Results
Sep 21, 2013; Provo, UT, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Dres Anderson (6) cannot catch a pass while defended by Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Robertson Daniel (4) at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Utah Utes defeated Brigham Young Cougars 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Utah State at USC
My Pick: USC 31, Utah State 10
Actual Score: USC 17, Utah State 14
It turns out that USC’s offensive woes did not end with the win over Boston College. Instead the Trojans gutted out a win based on defense while the passing game continued to struggle. That may spell serious trouble in future weeks when Kiffin and Co. face Pac-12 contenders instead of Boston College.
#23 Arizona State at #5 Stanford
My Pick: Stanford 30, ASU 24
Actual Score: Stanford 42, ASU 28
You know the drill. Stanford is too good or ASU isn’t ready to take on top contenders. Most likely a combination of both. Could have been a big shakeup of the Pac-12 hierarchy, but instead this game firmed up the status quo of Pac-12 North powers over Pac-12 South contenders.
Oregon State at San Diego State
My Pick: OSU 38, SDSU 17
Actual Score: OSU 34, SDSU 30
Guess the brakes need to be put on the Oregon State Redemption Train. At least slightly. The overtime win at Utah looked like a clear indication of a turnaround after the loss to Eastern, but this win was much too close for the Beavers to be satisfied. Double road wins is still movement in the right direction, but expectations should still be moderately low for Oregon State in Pac-12 play.
Utah at BYU
My Pick: Utah 35, BYU 24
Actual Score: Utah 20, BYU 13
I should have known that this would be a low-scoring, tense affair. Utah gets back on track in a big way following the overtime loss to Oregon State, and the Pac-12 South remains theoretically wide open behind UCLA. As things stand right now, should the Bruins slip, it would be feasible for ASU, Arizona, USC, or Utah to end up playing for the Rose Bowl.
New Mexico State at UCLA
My Pick: UCLA 45, New Mexico State 13
Actual Score: UCLA 59, New Mexico State 13
UCLA may be entering into Stanford and Oregon territory above the rest of the Pac-12 field. It won’t be reasonable to make that assumption until the Bruins play both of those teams in October, but it’s becoming more and more plausible each week.
Idaho at Washington State
My Pick: WSU 41, Idaho 20
Actual Score: WSU 42, Idaho 0
The WSU defense played another complete game and the offense romped on inferior competition. This is the sort of win that the Cougars need to start getting every time they play a lower-level opponent like Idaho. Another step forward for Coach Leach, even if it’s a small one that doesn’t deserve a ton of fanfare.
My Record This Week: 7-0 (Counting UW Games)
My Total Record: 33-3 (Counting UW Games)