It's Week 8 of College Football, and here are my picks for the Pac-10 games this week.
No. 12 Cal at UCLA (12:30 p.m., ABC)
Predicted Winner: Cal
After losing a game they shouldn't have to the Beavers last week, I expect Cal to come out and take it to the Bruins, a team who lost to Notre Dame two weeks ago. Cal's starting quarterback will again be a game time decision, so it is highly possible that we will see freshman Kevin Riley again. If he has anything like the game he had last week, and prevents the bad decisions, it could be a long day for UCLA, a team that stomped the Beavers a few weeks ago. The game might be best described by this picture.
No. 14 USC at Notre Dame (12:30 p.m., NBC)
Predicted Winner: USC
In a game lacking the hype it has had in prior years, the Trojans head into South Bend needing to make a statement. Notre Dame had an atrocious start to the season losing five straight games. They looked like a football team against UCLA, but then got beat last week by Boston College. There is no way USC shouldn't be able to win this game. Period. But hey, I wouldn't mind seeing an upset.
Stanford at Arizona (4:07 p.m., FSN Arizona)
Predicted Winner: Arizona
The underrated Willie Tuitama should get a chance to flex his muscles today. Despite Willie's strong efforts, the Wildcats are only 1-3 in the Pac-10, their lone victory coming against Washington State. Tuitama is already over the 2000 yard mark on the year, and is averaging 294(!) passing yards per game. His team owes him a victory over the Cardinal after they couldn't get it done against Cal, Oregon State, and USC.
No. 10 Oregon at Washington (4:37 p.m., FSN)
Predicted Winner: Oregon
Where the Notre Dame/ USC game lacks hype, this game makes up for it. In one of the most underrated rivalries in the country in my opinion, the Ducks travel to Seattle today to take on the Huskies and Jake Locker. This is such a big game for the Ducks that fans want to win it almost as much as the Civil War, according to an Addicted to Quack poll:
Bottom line: The Ducks are plagued with injuries, but they still have the tools to beat the Huskies. However, I think this game has the biggest potential for an upset. Husky Stadium is a tough place to play.
--JB--