Pac-12 Picks: Week Nine
UCLA (5-2) at Arizona State (5-2)
Toughest game to predict, in my mind, but the fact that the Sun Devils are playing at home definitely gives them an edge. The Bruins are 2-1 on the road, but the two wins were against Rice and Colorado, and the one loss was an embarrassing 17-43 loss at Cal. The prolific nature of both offenses might seem to point to a shootout, but to me, the fact that Arizona State has the stingiest defense in the Pac-12, in terms of yardage, points to a straight up ASU win.
ASU 38, UCLA 24
Oct. 18, 2012; Tempe, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks running back (6) De
Colorado (1-6) at #2 Oregon (7-0)
This may be the most brutally unfair conference game that will take place this entire season. There is just no way the Buffaloes stay competitive, not playing against the number two country in the nation on the road. The fact that things should be pretty out of hand by the end of the first half may actually lead to a pretty reasonable final score, with Oregon likely to play mostly backups for the second half, but in terms of overall competitiveness, this should be pretty sad to watch.
Oregon 48, Colorado 10
#10 USC (6-1) at Arizona (4-3)
Husky fans should definitely pay attention to how this one plays out, as it will help clarify a bit about the Huskies. Was the 52-17 Arizona win over Washington a fairly average team destroying a mediocre or bad one, or was it a fairly talented, underrated team saddled with an unfortunate 3-3 record beating a decent Husky team that just didn’t see it coming? Either way, Washington was clubbed over the head in Tucson, but the differences are significant. In particular, if Arizona manages to score 35+ points on the Trojans, it may indicate that pretty much everyone (except Oregon, of course) is over-matched against Matt Scott and Co. Personally, I don’t think USC is ready, but I’ve been wrong in picking against them before.
Arizona 38, USC 28
WSU (2-5) at #19 Stanford (5-2)
I’ve read a few articles trying to call this a trap game. I don’t buy it. Cal looked like a trap game, and the Bears were physically mauled on both sides of the ball. I do not see any situation in which Mike Leach’s Cougars display enough toughness to avoid being physically dominated as well, especially not on the road. They’ll be lucky to escape without more quarterback injuries.
Stanford 41, WSU 17
Oct. 13, 2012; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach talks with his offense during the second half against the California Golden Bears at Martin Stadium. The Golden Bears won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-US PRESSWIRE
California (3-5) at Utah (2-5)
I can honestly say I really just don’t care who wins this game. Both teams have been complete disappointments, and a win here will not salvage the season for either team. I think Utah has the edge just because they’re playing at home, but I won’t pretend to be super confident in that. Maybe Cal shows something and manages to pull this one off.
Utah 24, Cal 20