The home stretch is here, and the battle for the conference title continues to heat up.
UCLA football (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) and its upcoming opponent USC (4-5, 3-4 Pac-12) are both mathematically out of the race for the Pac-12 South, so their crosstown rivalry game won't have much of an impact on the conference standings.
The biggest matchup of the weekend is between No. 3 Oregon and No. 23 Utah, as both division-leaders gear up to potentially play twice in three weeks should they both hold strong through the next two games. The Pac-12's hopes at a College Football Playoff rest fully on the Ducks' shoulders, while the Utes are trying to lock themselves into a Rose Bowl bid by finishing the year strong.
The group of true contenders has narrowed, but there is still plenty left in the air heading into the final few weeks out west.
Here are All Bruins' picks for each of the contests including a Pac-12 team in Week 12:
Washington State (1-8, 1-5) vs. Arizona (1-9, 1-6)
Friday, 6 p.m. PT
Pullman, Arizona
Line: Washington State, -15*
Washington State's 4-1 October may not have spilled over into November success, but the Cougars are still a top-half of the Pac-12 team. After beating four conference opponents in a row, Washington State covered the spread against Oregon, all while still losing the game outright. The Cougars are averaging 28.8 points per game in Pac-12 play since the start of October, while the Wildcats are putting up just 17.3 a night this season. Arizona has an average point differential of 12.2 points per game, but that figure is down to 3.5 in its last four. As unlikely as it is that the Wildcats win this one, they kept things close against Washington and USC, and even made a stand late against Utah, so they should be able to do so against Washington State come Friday night.
Straight Up: Washington State
Against the Spread: Arizona
Colorado (3-7, 2-5) vs. Washington (4-6, 3-4)
Saturday, 12 p.m. PT
Boulder, Colorado
Line: Washington, -7*
The Huskies may have lost back-to-back games and fired their head coach, but they lost those two games to two of the top-three teams in the conference by an average of 7.5 points. Removing Jimmy Lake from the equation probably doesn't change things all too much either, considering he was suspended from Washington's game against Arizona State last week and the Huskies still held a fourth quarter lead. Now, facing off against a bottom-tier team in Colorado, a semi-talented Washington team should still have what it takes to best the Buffaloes. The last two Pac-12 teams to fire their coaches midseason this fall, USC and Washington State, both won their first game following the change at the top. Expect Washington to do the same in Boulder this weekend.
Straight Up: Washington
Against the Spread: Washington
USC (4-5, 3-4) vs. UCLA (6-4, 4-3)
Saturday, 1 p.m. PT
Los Angeles, California
Line: UCLA, -3*
On paper, the Bruins have the advantage on offense and defense, and their record shows it. What isn't accounted for in those numbers, however, is that the Trojans are 5-1 against them in the last six instances of the crosstown showdown. This is a different UCLA team, and a different USC team, but it still boils down to two rivals going head-to-head. The Bruins are healthier and are coming off a much-needed win, while the Trojans are coming off a loss to Arizona State, then a surprise bye week and quarterback mayhem, so UCLA is certainly in a much better position coming into this one. At the same time, the Bruins have yet to beat a team with a winning percentage over .400, and the Trojans are narrowly above that mark and would probably be .500 had they played their scheduled game against Cal last weekend. UCLA has proven it can beat bad teams, and as much of a down year this is for USC, they're still more mediocre than they are bad. This one could come down to the final few possessions.
Straight Up: UCLA
Against the Spread: USC
Stanford (3-7, 2-6) vs. Cal (3-6, 2-4)
Saturday, 4 p.m. PT
Stanford, California
Line: Cal, -1.5*
As rivalry matchups go, this one may be the least interesting you could find. Both offenses are dreadful, neither team has found any kind of regular success. The Golden Bears competed to the final whistle with Oregon, then rattled off back-to-back wins over Colorado and Oregon State before having their momentum halted by COVID-19 issues and losing to Arizona and seeing their game against USC pushed back almost a month. The Cardinal have lost five in a row, hardly keeping any of the contests close, and they rank outside the top 95 in both scoring offense and scoring defense on the season. Cal might come out angry in this one with all the frustration pent up around the pandemic and testing issues, which could either work in their favor or against them. But with the way Stanford has been playing without Tanner McKee, it's hard to pick them to win no matter who the opponent is.
Straight Up: Cal
Against the Spread: Cal
No. 23 Utah (7-3, 6-1) vs. No. 3 Oregon (9-1, 6-1)
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT
Salt Lake City, Utah
Line: Utah, -3*
The one true headliner in the Pac-12 this weekend, at least in regards to national relevance and postseason implications, is going to be a tight one. Both teams have an average point differential of about 12 per game, and both are 6-1 since the start of the conference schedule. As much credit as Oregon is getting for their early-season win over Ohio State, Utah is not all that different of a team over the past two months. Should the Ducks win, that might not even be enough for them to solidify a spot in the College Football Playoff, since they are more than likely going to have to face the Utes again in the Pac-12 Championship Game and win that one convincingly as well. Utah, at this point, is fighting for pride, since it has not shot at the Playoffs and has the South all but locked up. The Utes would technically find themselves in the best position if they lose to the Ducks both times, letting them go to the Rose Bowl while Oregon makes the Playoffs, but obviously that isn't going to affect Kyle Whittingham this weekend. It will be a tight one, but with more on the line, Oregon should be the favored to escape with a close victory.
Straight Up: Oregon
Against the Spread: Oregon
Oregon State (6-4, 4-3) vs. Arizona State (7-3, 5-2)
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. PT
Corvallis, Oregon
Line: Arizona State, -3*
The Sun Devils need to win to keep their hopes at a Pac-12 title alive, and they're posed with a very interesting matchup to put that to the test. Oregon State boasts a top-30 offense, while Arizona State boasts a top-30 defense. Before beating Stanford a week ago, though, the Beavers had lost three out of four and allowed 30-plus points in all of those contests, so their defense is more than capable of wiping out their offense's success. The Sun Devils, while still wavering here and there, are 6-0 when scoring 30 or more and 1-3 when they fail to hit that mark. It seems as if Oregon State won't have what it takes to stop Jayden Daniels and co., and Arizona State will have to cross its fingers and hope Utah loses in order to keep them in the race for the division title.
Straight Up: Arizona State
Against the Spread: Arizona State
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Pac-12 Football Predictions: Week 12 - CalBearsMaven
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