I probably should retire the picks after going 4-0 straight up and against the spread last week. But what fun would that be?
On with this week’s selections:
Washington (3-3) at Arizona State (3-2): The next step for the Huskies is to win a road game. It’s not a required to earn a bowl berth, but without a road win, UW must beat Oregon and California in Seattle. Probably a good idea to get some insurance. Of the remaining road games, Arizona State and UCLA are the easiest spots. Six turnovers against Washington State? That’s a big problem for the Sun Devils. UW’s bend-but-don’t-break defense might not even get stretched to the bend part against punchless ASU. On the other hand, Arizona State’s defense might be the nastiest Washington has faced all season. It’s fast, aggressive and wants to take your head off, Jake Locker. (Line: ASU by 6) Pick: Sun Devils 23, Huskies 20
No. 6 (AP) USC (4-1) at No. 25 Notre Dame (4-1): It took first-year coaches Steve Sarkisian of Washington and Chip Kelly of Oregon four games or fewer to knock off a Top 10 team. So what is Charlie Weis’ problem? We’re four years-plus waiting for Weis to beat a Top 10 team, or beat an opponent of marquee quality. Here’s another chance. The Irish have had an extra week to prepare, just like USC. The Trojans are a legit Top 10 team, but not as good as some of the USC teams Weis has faced. And this is Weis’ best team, it appears. So is Saturday finally the day Weis earns his bloated salary and beats a good team? Uh, probably not. (Line: USC by 10) Pick: Trojans 34, Irish 27
California (3-2) at UCLA (3-2): The Battle of the Beleaguereds. UCLA is just what the Bears’ defense needs at the moment after getting rolled by the offenses of Oregon and USC. Time for Jahvid Best to regain his mojo. If Oregon’s LaMichael James can run for a buck 50 against the Bruins, Best should be able to do some damage here. (Line: Cal by 3½) Pick: Bears 20, Bruins 10
Stanford (4-2) at Arizona (3-2): Who to pick here, the 0-2 team in road games (Stanford) or the club that had its heart ripped out in Seattle (Arizona)? Don’t comparison shop here. Stanford got run out of Reser Stadium last Saturday by an Oregon State that lost on the same field to Arizona. Yet the Wildcats lost to the Huskies, who were 20-point losers at Stanford. Better to go with the team with the best defense that’s playing at home. (Line: Arizona by 4) Pick: Wildcats 31, Cardinal 24
Last week’s record: 4-0
Last week against the spread: 4-0
Season record: 29-12
Season against the spread: 22-14-1
Nick Daschel covers the Pac-10 for Buster Sports, and can be reached at ndaschel@bustersports.com
You can also follow Nick on Twitter
Comments
Tell me how great the Cougars are now.
Many teams we've played this year have underestimated us....It seems you have as well. (What's new)
Husky Gar