Pac-12 Week Two TV Guide: Pac-12 Opener Has Major Upset Potential

Game of the Week - Washington State at USC - Saturday 7:30 p.m. PT - Fox Sports 1

JF - It's about as weak of a slate as you can get in a season, so this game kind of is the most interesting by default since it's the Pac-12 opener and both teams are still kind of unknowns after week one. This could be a sneaky game though as the Cougars looked better than expected in week one at Auburn and the Trojans looked shaky and disinterested against Hawaii. This one is on upset watch.

AK - Washington State showed as much promise as they possibly could after a difficult Airraid transition season, and now they get a chance to show what they're capable of against a strong-looking USC defense. Meanwhile, USC should be able to run on a still developing Cougar defensive front, but what happens if they have to turn to the air? A very intriguing Pac-12 season opener.

2. Oregon at Virginia - Saturday 12:30 p.m. PT - ABC/ESPN2

JF - This one just got a little bit more interesting with Virginia showing up at home last week and beating a BYU team that was supposed to be pretty good. This game now looks like it could be more of a test than it did going into the season, as it will now be the Mark Helfrich-led Ducks' first real mild challenge.

AK - Virginia managed to slug it out with BYU in a mild upset, but stopping the Ducks for four quarters will be quite the Herculean task. Expect a close first half followed by the usual third quarter melee.

3. San Jose State at Stanford - Saturday 8 p.m. PT - Pac-12 Network

JF - This one ended up being a nail-bitter for the Cardinal in San Jose last year as no one expected the Spartans to be as good as they were in 2012. The Spartans won't be able to sneak up on the Cardinal this time, but have a legitimate NFL first-round prospect at quarterback in David Fales and will assuredly completely sell out to the run on defense in hopes of forcing Stanford to prove that their unproven receivers and tight ends can perform.

AK - David Fales nearly upset the Rose Bowl champions here last year, and he'll have the tools to try and do the same thing this year. But the Cardinal return practically everyone and should be in good shape to avoid the upset bug two years in a row.

4. Arizona at UNLV - Saturday 7:30 p.m. PT - CBS Sports Network

JF - UNLV is bad, like one of the worst FBS teams in the country bad, but they're at home and Arizona hasn't proven that they have a quarterback who can beat someone passing if need be. However, this could also be B.J. Denker's chance to prove he can do that and get a permanent grip on the starting job.

AK - UNLV got run over by Minnesota, but Arizona didn't play particularly well in their season-opener, so there are signs of vulnerability for Rich Rod's crew so far. Expect a competitive matchup in the desert.

5. Hawaii at Oregon State - Saturday 5 p.m. PT - Pac-12 Network

JF - This will be a must-win for the Beavers as they move forward with life after getting beaten by an FCS program. The Warriors could be a ripe victim for an enraged Beaver team, but their defense actually did look good against USC last week, so it's not impossible that they could make this a bit of a game if their offense can have some of the success that Eastern Washington did against the soft Beaver defense.

AK - Oregon State is usually pretty bad during the non-conference slate, but Hawaii just looks bad, period. The Warriors might have more success against a porous Beaver defense, but I doubt they'll want to waste another Sean Mannion performance.

6. Central Arkansas at Colorado - Saturday 5 p.m. PT - Pac-12 Network

JF - Colorado showed some signs of life last week by beating Colorado State, but they are still the Buffs and lost to an FCS team last season, and Central Arkansas is solid in the FCS, so you never know.

AK - Central Arkansas hung tough with a bowl-eligible SEC team for three quarters last year, even leading at halftime. So Mike McIntyre will barely be able to rest from his Sunday win as he has to avoid a trap against once of the FCS's best.

7. Sacramento State at Arizona State - Thursday 7 p.m. PT - Pac-12 Network

JF - Sacramento State has knocked off a Pac-12 team the past two seasons - Oregon State in 2011 and Colorado in 2012 so even though the Sun Devils should be much better than those teams were those seasons - the Hornets can never be overlooked.

AK - Can "Sac State to the Pac-12" gain national prominence? Sacramento State has won two in a row against Pac-12 schools. Unfortnattely, ASU is probably miles better than last year Colorado or 2011 Oregon State.

8. Weber State at Utah - Saturday 11 a.m. PT - Pac-12 Network

JF - The Utes follow up a rivalry game with another game against a school from Utah. The Wildcats aren't nearly as good as Utah State, but the Utes need to make sure that they don't overlook them and turn this into a trap game.

AK - Weber State loses by an average of five touchdowns to whatever Utah FBS team they get assigned, so it'll be the Utes turn to get some much needed rest.

9. Portland State at Cal - Saturday 2 p.m. PT - Pac-12 Network

JF - This one might be fun to see just how many passing yards the Bear Raid can put up, but it also has a trap game recipe being sandwiched in between high-profile games against Northwestern and Ohio State.

AK - Portland State has never competed with any Pac-12 team they've had to face, including losing by 39 to quite possibly the worst Pac-12 team ever (2008 WSU). Expect failure here.