Out of the Pac

Another Thursday night Pac-12 showdown and another two part Out of the Pac... Three up, two down with last week's picks puts the season total at 39-15.

USC 30 – California 9 (pick: USC 35-21)
Five turnovers for the Teddy Bears – you don’t win many football games that way. USC extended their mastery over California to eight straight.

Saturday October 15

Utah 26 – Pittsburgh 14 (pick: Pittsburgh 24-13)
Backup quarterback Jon Hayes handed the ball off 36 times to running back John White and Utah snapped a three game losing streak by knocking off the Panthers in Pittsburgh.

BYU 38 – Oregon State 28 (pick: OSU 27-18)
Maybe BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall was coaching as if his job depended on beating the Beavers. Maybe not but the Benny’s couldn’t sustain the momentum of their first win of the season the week before over Arizona that cost Wildcat head coach Mike Stoops his job.

Oregon 41 – Arizona State 27 (pick: Oregon 38-25)
Back-up quarterback Bryan Bennett rallied the Ducks from a 24-21 deficit with two third quarter touchdowns and Oregon won for the 20^th straight time in Autzen.

Washington 52 – Colorado 24 (pick: Washington 37-10)
Keith Price threw for four touchdowns as the Huskies clobbered hapless Colorado in Seattle.

Stanford 44 – Washington State 14 (pick: Stanford 57-23)
For the first 30 minutes, Washington State was able to keep Stanford and Andrew Luck in check. Not so much in the next 30 minutes. Luck ended up with 336 yards passing and four touchdowns.

Thursday, October 20
UCLA @ Arizona
If the team who fired their coach beats the team who might fire their coach does Dan Guerrero, UCLA's athletic director wait until the end of the season or make the change immediately? The Wildcats had an extra week to prepare and the game is in Tucson so this would be an opportune moment to reverse a ten game losing streak to FBS opponents. The last FBS team to fall to Arizona? UCLA. Ignoring the X's and O's that point to a Bruin advantage, the pick is for Arizona by three, 24-21.

Saturday, October 22
Oregon @ Colorado
Without Darron Thomas and LaMichael James Oregon is a 33 point favorite in Boulder. That’s too optimistic – Oregon 55-13

USC @ Notre Dame
Welcome to USC’s 2011 bowl game. That and last year’s upset loss to the Irish in the Coliseum are enough motivation for the Trojans to lead the Trojans to a 34-23 win.

Oregon State @ Washington State
Had Oregon State taken care of business last week against BYU this might have been the game that would have set the stage for a late season surge by the Beavers, but at 1-5 it’s too late for that. Still, last year’s loss to the Cougars in Reser could be the determining factor. Bitten once, twice shy about picking the Beavers but with the game on a “neutral” Qwest Field in Seattle let’s give it one more try – OSU by seven, 28-21.

Utah @ California
A “must” win for California head coach Jeff Tedford? Maybe not, but the grumbling will surely get louder in Utah waltzes in and upends the Bears. Unless Zach Maynard coughs up three interceptions as he did against USC, they won’t. Bears 27-13.

Washington @ Stanford
The Husky offense has been surprisingly potent, just not as potent as Stanford’s and Andrew Luck. Cardinal cruise – 48-31.