Saturday, September 26
USC 27 - Washington State 6 (pick: USC 25-17)
The Trojans still aren't clicking on all cylinders offensively, turnovers and penalties continue and a month into the season USC appears to be as vulnerable as they have been in recent memory. That WSU wasn't able to take advantage isn't much of a surprise.
Georgia 20 - Arizona State 17 (pick: Georgia 28 - 19)
Give the Arizona State's defense the credit it is due, they kept the Sun Devils close and if Dennis Erickson's offense hadn't been so inept, they might have slipped away with a big win. But they didn't and that offense is showing few signs of improvement over the course of the first month of the season.
Arizona 37 - Oregon State 32 (pick: Oregon State 28-13)
A truly bad loss for the Beavs. any bowl ambitions held in Corvallis have to be ratcheted down a notch or two after a loss to a very pedestrian Arizona team. Giving up 37 points to that team is nearly inexcusable.
Oregon 42 - California 3 (pick: Oregon 23-21)
Oregon's offense exploded yes, but it was still the defense that paved the way for the Duck's win. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli completed 21 of 25 passes to quiet the boo-birds and rekindle the expectations that were in place when the season began. There is still a lot of football to play but this was a signature win for Chip Kelly not so much because of the Bear's #6 ranking, but because of the totality of their play on both sides of the ball.
Stanford 34 - Washington 14 (pick: Washington 24-17)
Disappointing showing by the Huskies after their upset of USC, but in truth Stanford is a better football team on both sides of the ball. The Cardinal surely provided a blueprint to beat the Huskies. run the ball, run the ball, run the ball and then run the ball some more.
Saturday, October 3
Oregon State at Arizona State
The Beavers haven't won in Tempe since Richard Nixon was president. That streak won't end this year, not with this OS defense. ASU 27 - Battered Benny's 17
UCLA at Stanford
It is something of a surprise that a month into the season the Bruins are the Pac-10's only unbeaten team. Their schedule in the second month is more daunting and a road win on the Farm is a tall order for a team without an offense. Stanford is a tough physical football team that is going to knock heads for 60 minutes. Toughness hasn't been a trademark for any of Rick Neuheisal's teams and this one just isn't up to stopping Toby Gerhart. Cardinal 28 - UCLA 13
Washington State at Oregon
It would be hard to imagine that Oregon won't pick up where they left off last Saturday. The Cougs will be starting a freshman quarterback in his first road game and their defense is ranked near the bottom in nearly every category. Not a prescription for an upset. Oregon 48 - 10.
Washington at Notre Dame
More with heart on sleeve than with rational thought, let's call this one for the Huskies. Washington's letdown last weekend at Stanford notwithstanding, the Irish are ripe for the picking and if the Huskies can seize the moment, they come away with a 24 - 17 upset.
USC at California
One of these front-runners will have two conference losses when this one is done. Although California was dismantled last weekend in Autzen, they are a better team than they showed. The opportunity to face USC in Berkeley is just what the Bears needed to refocus on their strengths and given the Trojan's uninspiring play so far, it really doesn't seem that big an upset to go with Cal, 31-17.
