Arizona (2-7, 1-6 Pac-12) at Colorado (1-9, 0-6 Pac-12)
Saturday, 11:30 p.m.
When the only predictable highlight of a team’s home games involves a 1,000-pound hairy animal doing the 100-yard dash, you know things aren’t going well in Boulder. Unfortunately for the Buffaloes, their first year in the Pac-12 has been anything but welcoming. Colorado ranks last in the conference in scoring offense, scoring defense, rushing offense, rushing defense and several other statistical categories@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@. That’s why they’re a major home underdog to an Arizona team that fired its coach and won’t qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2007. The Wildcats, who rank third in the conference in total offense and first in passing offense@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@, should be able to take advantage of Colorado’s injury-depleted secondary and hand interim head coach Tim Kish@@http://www.arizonawildcats.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/kish_tim00.html@@ his second victory.
Washington (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) at USC (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12)
Saturday, 12:45 p.m., FX
This clash of teams led by two former assistants of Pete Carroll@@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/carroll_pete00.html@@ features two of the top offenses in the conference. USC, led by quarterback Matt Barkley@@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/barkley_matt00.html@@ and an assortment of talented receivers, averages 33.4 points per game@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@ and is fourth in the Pac-12 in total offense@@see previous@@, averaging 446.8 yards per contest@@see previous@@. Employing more of a run-oriented offense, Washington is fourth@@see previous@@ in the conference in scoring at 33.6 points per game@@see previous@@. Although neither team is in the upper echelon of scoring defense rankings, the young Trojan defense has played better of late, allowing 17 or fewer points in three of its past four games@@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/teamstat.html@@. That could be enough to stifle a Husky offense that was somewhat exposed against Oregon last weekend — particularly in the running game — and serve as the deciding factor in giving the Trojans their first win over Washington in the past three years@@last time USC beat UW was in 08: http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/usc-m-footbl-sched.html@@.
Oregon State (2-7, 2-4 Pac-12) at California (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Although both Oregon State and Cal are currently in a “little brother” relationship with fellow in-state programs Oregon and Stanford, this matchup does hold meaning. With a win, Cal will become bowl eligible for the eighth time in nine years,@@http://mobile.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/11/8/2546533/hot-seat-rick-neuheisel-paul-wulff-frank-spaziani@@ and return to the postseason after finishing 5-7 last season@@http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/cal-m-footbl-sched-2010.html@@. Although Oregon State’s postseason hopes have already been dashed, a road upset at Cal would do wonders to rescue a lost season. Unfortunately for the Beavers, they’ll face an uphill climb in doing so against a talented Bear squad. Cal ranks higher than Oregon State in nearly every major statistical category — the Bears are eighth in the Pac-12 in scoring offense (Oregon State is 11th), fifth in scoring defense (the Beavers are seventh), sixth in total offense (Oregon State is 10th) and second in total defense (the Beavers are seventh).@@CE all http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/Football/2011-Stats/HTML/confldrs.htm@@
UCLA (5-4, 4-2 Pac-12) at Utah (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12)
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Two weeks ago, after suffering a 48-12 loss to Arizona@@see previous link@@, many pundits figured Rick Neuheisel@@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/neuheisel_rick00.html@@ wouldn’t last the season as UCLA head coach. Now the Bruins control their own destiny in the Southern Division of the Pac-12 race. A road win over Utah would make the once-unimaginable thought of UCLA playing in the Rose Bowl a realistic possibility. The Bruins defeated Cal two weeks ago and shocked Arizona State last week.@@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/ucla-m-footbl-sched.html@@ In both contests, much-maligned signal caller Kevin Prince@@http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/prince_kevin00.html@@ was solid, completing a combined 20 of 35 passes@@changed from 36, i did the math: http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/ucla-m-footbl-sched.html@@ for 288 yards@@CE@@ and one touchdown@@CE@@. Meanwhile, Utah has rebounded from an 0-4 start in conference play@@http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/utah-m-footbl-sched.html@@ to post consecutive victories over Oregon State and Arizona@@see previous@@. Thrust into a starting role after starting quarterback Jordan Wynn@@http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wynn_jordan00.html@@ suffered a season-ending shoulder injury,@@http://www.ksl.com/?nid=840&sid=17616100@@ quarterback Jon Hays@@http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hays_jon00.html@@ has been solid in his team’s two league wins, throwing for a combined 261 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions@@CE I did the math: http://utahutes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/utah-m-footbl-sched.html@@.
Arizona State (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12) at Washington State (3-6, 1-5 Pac-12)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Once thought to be a virtual lock to win the Southern Division and play in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game@@capitalization conflicts on google search@@, Arizona State is now facing the possibility of playing in a second-tier bowl game following an inexplicable loss to UCLA.@@http://www.thesundevils.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/asu-m-footbl-sched.html@@ Even though they won the turnover battle 2-0@@http://www.thesundevils.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2011-2012/asuucla.html#GAME.NEW@@ and outgained the Bruins 465-416,@@see previous@@ the Sun Devils couldn’t make a play when it mattered most, missing a potential game-winning field goal on the game’s last play. Nonetheless, Arizona State is a heavy favorite over a Cougar squad long-removed from any optimism surrounding its season. Washington State, which is expected to start backup quarterback Marshall Lobbestael@@http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lobbestael_marshall00.html@@ (former starter Jeff Tuel@@http://www.wsucougars.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/tuel_jeff00.html@@ is injured) again, is decent offensively, but horrid on defense — the Cougars are ranked 94th@@changed from 95th: http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/265/washington-state-cougars@@ nationally (out of 120 teams) in points allowed per game and 100th in average rushing yards allowed@@see previous@@.