As each week of Pac-12 play moves on, the stakes are only getting higher.
The conference has moved away from divisions, so the two best teams will be the ones playing in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship. During any other year it probably would have been fairly obvious as to who the two top teams were, but this season there is a four team race for the top two spots. Not to mention, there are two teams in Oregon State and Washington on the outside looking in, that can also contend for the conference championship.
Last week we saw Utah stay in contention with a huge win over USC that handed the Trojans their first loss of the season, Colorado snag their first win of the season, and Stanford end their losing streak. Both UCLA and Oregon were on a bye, which makes this week even more interesting.
The Pac-12 currently has four ranked teams with all of them being ranked in the top-15. UCLA comes in at No. 9, Oregon No. 10, USC No. 12, and Utah No. 15.
As I try to do each and every week I will predict the outcome of every game. I currently hold a record of 31-10 on the year, so with that being said let's see how well I can do this week.
#9 UCLA vs. #10 Oregon
The matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the conference, and one that can help cement one of their spots in the Pac-12 Championship. Chip Kelly has finally picked up some steam at UCLA after a lackluster start to his tenure. He is now tasked with leading his undefeated Bruins against his old team, which is something that has not gone well for him. In the last two meetings between these programs, the final score has been settled by just a combined six points in favor of Oregon.
While I think UCLA will be able to keep this game close, there is one stat that prevents me from picking them and isn't even something that the Bruins can control. Oregon is 22-0 in Eugene since 2018, and I think this will be an extremely tough and hostile environment for the Bruins. Up to this point, the most "hostile" enviroment that UCLA has played in his Colorado as they have benefited form playing Washington and Utah at home. Oregon' pass defense is abysmal, but their run defense is really strong which is what I think will give them the edge over a UCLA team that likes to utilize their great run game.
Score Prediction: Oregon 45, UCLA 38
Arizona State vs. Stanford
Both teams are coming off wins against teams that no one expected them to win. Arizona State pulled off the upset against Washington with their backup quarterback, and Stanford went into South Bend and beat a hot Notre Dame team.
I'm giving the edge to Stanford here, because of how stout the defense looked last week. The Cardinal defense looked like a completely different unit out there, and I think with Emory Jones in the lineup for the Sun Devils, Stanford will be able to put him in compromising positions. If the Cardinal can continue to improve their run defense, Jones has yet to prove he can lead team to victory with his arm. A win here gets Stanford their first conference win in a year, and I think they come out on top even despite the loss of Michael Wilson at receiver.
Score Prediction: Stanford 28, ASU 17
Colorado vs. Oregon State
While I was wrong that Colorado was going to go 0-12 this season, I do not like their chances against this Oregon State team. This Beaver offense loves to run the ball regardless of who they have at quarterback, and this Colorado defense struggles to stop the run as they give up over 250 yards rushing a game.
Score Prediction: OSU 36, Colorado 16
Washington vs. Cal
At the beginning of the season I was one of the biggest Cal doubters due to the fact they struggled against the likes of UC Davis, UNLV, and then they would play someone like Notre Dame closely. This team is all over the board, and their recent loss to Colorado just shows how inconsistent of a team they are. I think Washington's offense will got hot, and that Cal will not be able to keep up.
Score Prediction: Washington 42, Cal 28
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