Week 12 Previews

Yes, we are lame and are getting these up late, but better late than never!


Oregon State vs Stanford (+15)
Somehow the Tree managed to win a game last week. Not sure what Ty Willingham was doing in preparation for this game, but somehow the Huskies couldn’t run the ball or pass the ball or stop the pass. Does that mean Stanford is actually good now? No. For the Beavers, after losing to UCLA, they cannot afford to have a losing streak going into the Civil War. Their season is still alive, unlike UW’s. Look for the Beavs to rely heavily on Yvenson Bernard as they take the Cardinal to the woodshed.

Brian’s Pick: Oregon State (-15)
Mike's Pick: Oregon State (-15)
Graham's Pick: Oregon State (-15)

Arizona vs Oregon (-15)
The Wildcats just upset the Bears, right after upsetting the Cougars. Is a trifecta in the works? The biggest advantage they had over Cal was that it was in Tucson, not in Berkeley. This week, they have to play in Eugene, in Autzen and likely against some heinous uniforms. Oregon is coming off a rough loss against the Trojans. Despite losing by 25, the Ducks moved the ball pretty well between the 20s, just never into the end zone. Arizona doesn’t have the same defense as USC, so Oregon should put up around 30 points again. But given Arizona’s recent year-end success, don’t count the Wildcats out. I don’t think they’ll pull off another upset, but 15 points isn’t enough respect for the Pac-10’s giant killers

Brian’s Pick: Arizona (+15)
Mike's Pick: Arizona (+15)
Graham's Pick: Arizona (+15)

Washington vs Washington State (-8.5)
Bonnell! Brink! It’s the Apple Cup!! Who’s not excited for this one? If the Huskies didn’t lose to Stanford last week, you might get a lot more people interested in the game. Sadly for Husky fan, they were destroyed by the Cardinal. Bonnell and Durocher had an unimaginably brutal game between the two of them, especially since it was against Stanford. Just a terrible loss on every level, made all the worse because it’s now six losses in a row for the Huskies. The Cougs didn’t look much better against ASU, but the big difference is that the Sun Devils aren’t the worst team this side of Duke and Temple. I mean Alex Brink didn’t have a negative QB rating, so something went right. The Huskies are hurting after that loss, and Ty Willingham may not make it to next year after the promise his team showed to start this season. WSU still has a shot at a bowl, so expect Alex Brink to throw it early and often. If Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus play, expect the Huskies to have trouble covering them and to give up lots of points.

Brian’s Pick: WSU (-8.5)
Mike's Pick: WSU (-8.5)
Graham's Pick: UW (+8.5) (WSU wins)

UCLA vs Arizona State (-6)
Just when we thought UCLA’s season was over, they go and knock off the Beavers. Even if it was in Pasadena, it was still an impressive performance by the Bruins. Patrick Cowan finally out-quarterbacked his counterpart across the sidelines, and voila, UCLA won a game. Though the numbers weren’t pretty, especially the 154 penalty yards, UCLA dominated the turnover battle and kept the Beavers out of the end zone. The Sun Devils also showed up last week, with Rudy Carpenter having a great game despite not having any receivers. With Jamaal Lewis and Terry Richardson coming back today, the ASU offense could be even better than the 500+ yard, point scoring machine they had against the Cougars. But the UCLA defense is not the WSU defense, which should keep ASU from scoring every time they touch the ball. The loser of this game will finish with a losing record in conference play, so it’s a big one for a bowl game. On top of the game itself, the Bruins have to deal with the emotional ramifications of losing a former teammate and I don’t know that the Bruins will have enough left to stop the Sun Devils in Tempe. Condolences to Marcus Cassel’s family.

Brian’s Pick: ASU (-6)
Mike's Pick: ASU(-6)
Graham's Pick: ASU (-6)

*Pac-10 Game of the Week*
Cal vs USC (-6.5)
I’m pretty sure that each game of the week is going to involve USC the rest of the season. That said, this one is huge for Cal too. Whoever wins this goes to the Rose Bowl and if USC wins, they have a shot at the national championship game. Cal’s offense is a little better than USC’s, but the Trojan defense is much better than the Golden Bear’s D. The USC running game is hurting this week, with Chauncey Washington questionable to go and Emmanuel Moody out until the Trojans’ bowl game. The biggest difference is special teams, where DeSean Jackson will kill the Trojans if given the chance to return kicks. Pete, pay attention, here are your two rules when facing Cal: Don’t punt to DeSean Jackson and don’t throw at Daymeion Hughes! If Pete follows my rules, USC gets the edge, especially with home field, though don’t be surprised if this game goes down to the wire.

Brian’s Pick: Cal (+6.5)
Mike's Pick: Cal (+6.5)
Graham's Pick: Cal (+6.5)