Out of the Pac

The first perfecto of the season, 10-0 last week with the picks moves the tally so far to 19-3. Just one Pac-12 game on the slate this week before the real head butting begins next.

Thursday, September 8
Oklahoma State 37 - Arizona 14 (pick: Oklahoma State 31-21)
It is a true fact Okie State's a pretty good football team. It's also a true fact, Stillwater is tough place to play - although Texas and Oklahoma both break serve here most of the time. That doesn't explain the lost look in Arizona's eyes in this thorough beat down. The Cowboys were more physical, quicker and smarter on both sides of the ball, and it looked like that would have been the case had the game been played in Tucson.

Friday, September 9

Arizona State 37 - Missouri 30 (pick: ASU 34-29)

A year ago Missouri would have escaped Tempe with a win. Dennis Erickson's Sun Devils are a lurking danger in the Pac-12. Certainly there were quibbles to be found, but the upside for this team is pretty high.

 

Saturday, September 10

Wisconsin 35 - Oregon State 0 (pick: Wisconsin 42-12)

On the other side of that equation. the downside for the Benny's is pretty low. For the moment at least. The pending return of Joe Haluni will be a huge addition for a team yet to exhibit any clue whatsoever that fall camp is over.

 

California 36 - Colorado 33 OT (pick: Cal 44-21 )

The Bears dropped five straight road games to end the season last year and nearly made it a six-peat in Boulder. After a stinging loss to Hawaii, the Buffaloes rebounded with an inspired effort to open their Pac-12 era. Except this one didn't count in the standings.

 

Washington 40 - Hawaii 32 (pick: Washington 27-21)

A feisty Hawaii gave the Huskies all they wanted and maybe a bit more. Keith Price had  nice day getting Washington to a 28-14 halftime lead, then held on for the win.

 

Stanford 44 - Duke 14 (pick: Stanford 55-17)

Duke had no answers - none - for Andrew Luck's four touchdown passes.

 

Oregon 69 - Nevada 20 (pick: Oregon 29-17)

A dazzling DeAT and a stellar day for quarterback Darron Thomas. In his comments after the game defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti shrugged aside the margin, saying with conviction that Nevada was a "real good" football team and would end up winning a lot of games. That's probably true. It's true for his team as well.

 

Washington State 59 - UNLV 7 (pick :WSU 28-18 )

Just a year or two ago it seems the Cougs didn't score 59 points in season, let alone on a single Saturday afternoon. UNLV is a far cry from Pac-12 level competition to be sure, but maybe - just maybe - athletic director Bill Moos knew what he was doing in giving Cougar head coach Paul Wulff time to get the program back on track. It's been a tough slog on the Palouse but so far, so good.

 

USC 23 - Utah 14 (pick: USC 31-14 )

Controversial final score aside, this game was down to the wire, literally. The Utes were set to kick a 41 yard field goal to send the game to overtime. USC's defense blocked the attempt and returned it for six points. Points that weren't officially recognized until two hours after the game ended, when the conference reversed the on field decision to negate the score due to an unsportsmanlike celebration penalty. One can go to a lot of football games before one would see one quite like that.

 

UCLA 27 - San Jose State 17 (pick: UCLA 27-21)

Does the ?hot seat' cool down a degree for beating the Spartans? Or does it go up two degrees because your team was flat, lethargic and mostly disinterested and any other Pac-12 team - including the Beavers - would have beaten San Jose State by 30?

 

Saturday, September 17

Colorado State vs. Colorado

The Rams are 2-0, knocking off Northern Arizona and New Mexico so far. The Buffs are 0-2 and both losses came with baggage, the emotional let down of an overtime loss at home last week and a miserable opener the week before in Hawaii. A neutral site game, the pick is with Colorado in a squeaker, 27-24.

 

Texas @ UCLA

Last year in this very match-up the thought was there wasn't a reason to be found the Bruins couldn't go into Austin and knock off Texas. The Longhorns were vastly overrated and UCLA truly had nothing to lose. And for maybe the only time in Rick Neuheisal's tenure, they played like it in a 34-12. The Longhorns are again vastly overrated at #23 and again there is absolutely no reason UCLA can't put another thorn in Mack Brown's pretensions. But they won't. Texas  31-13. At least the Rose Bowl will be more than half-full.

 

Washington @ Nebraska

The Huskers blasted Washington last season in Husky Stadium and Washington's sweet revenge in the Holiday Bowl was an interesting wrinkle to the bowl season. But payback is a . well, its 47-18, Huskers.

 

Missouri State @ Oregon

More DeAT and more Darron. and a LOT of substitutes. Buy a program, if you decide to return from the parking lot for the second half, you'll need it.  Oregon 87-13

 

Presbyterian @ California

This match-up could be as equally lopsided - and may well represent the future of BCS scheduling if conference consolidation continues. Cal 77-10

 

Washington State @ San Diego State

The Cougs will be challenged by a decent San Diego State team in Qualcomm. Not completely convinced all is well in Pullman but a win here would at least make for a more interesting next couple of weeks, at Colorado and at UCLA, both games they could be favored in. WSU by a TD, 32-25.

Arizona State @ Illinois

The Zooksters are 2-0, rolling over both Arkansas State and South Dakota State. So the Sun Devils will be quite a step up in competition. If ASU has any inclination to do damage in the Pac-12 this season, this is a game that would emphatically make that assertion. ASU 55-21.

 

Syracuse @ USC

Maybe in the Jim Brown era or maybe the day of Donovan McNabb this match-up would have a bit more glimmer. Right now it's a very pedestrian Big East team heading to LaLa land that isn't Notre Dame. USC 44-17

 

Utah @ Brigham Young

Much like the Civil War, it is almost unthinkable these two are paired in week three and not to conclude the regular season. Such is the cost of progress.. Utah won last year in Salt Lake, BYU holds serve this year in Provo, 28-25

 

Stanford @ Arizona

If the Wildcat defense plays as poorly as they did against Oklahoma State, Andrew Luck might win the Heisman right here and now. Arizona's best shot is for Nick Foles and the offense to keep him off the field, but sustaining possessions without wide-out Juron Criner was an issue in Stillwater. His return is questionable for the Cardinal, but he gets the benefit of the doubt in a 27-21 Stanford win. If Criner is out it's worse - much, much worse.