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Pac-12 TV Guide Week 10: Utah at Arizona State Pac-12 game of the week

A loaded week of Pac-12 action for Avinash Kunnath & Jack Follman to break down.

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Pac-12 Game of the Week - Utah at Arizona State - 8 p.m. FOX Sports 1

Stream on FOX Sports GO

JF: There is a ton at stake here as the winner will be in sole possession of first place in the South if Arizona loses at UCLA. Utah has the defense to put the clamps down on Arizona State's offense, but they have shown the past two weeks against Stanford and Washington that they can grind out those kind of wins. This might be the most-important Pac-12 game of the season up to this point. Also, this is essentially a darkhorse Playoff contender elimination game - two enter, one kind of/debatably comes out.

AK: Raise your hand if you had Utah at 6-1 with wins over UCLA and USC. Liars. I'm not sure when the luck of the Utes runs out (could be this week!), but they are playing tough football and are just bringing it to their opponents every week. ASU will be on their A-game at home though and have the weapons to spread Utah's defense out and make them defend the entire length of the field. Lots at stake in Tempe.

2. Arizona at UCLA - 7:30 p.m. ESPN

Stream on WATCH ESPN

JF: This is pretty much it for UCLA if they want to win the South. The Bruins have played the Wildcats well the past couple of years, but this is what I think is the best team Rich Rodriguez Arizona team as of yet and the worst Jim Mora UCLA as of yet, so they are going to have to play exceptionally well (something they haven't done for a while) to win this one. If the Bruins show up, this will be a good, hard-fought one.

AK: The Wildcats have a great chance to clamp down the doors on the Bruins, but for whatever reason UCLA has had its way with Arizona the last two seasons around. Anu Solomon taking over the offense might provide a different element for the disappointing Bruin defense to deal with, but it's like Brett Hundley can do similar things on the other side.

3. Stanford at Oregon - 4:30 p.m. FOX

Stream on FOX Sports GO

JF: This won't be the Pac-12's premiere game for the first time of the decade. I still think Stanford has the defense to stop the Ducks, but I don't think their woeful offense can control the ball the way they have the past two years which is the key to winning the game. However, Oregon's defense might be so bad the Cardinal can get things going enough to make things reasonable for their defense and remember that everyone had written off Stanford going into this game the past two years and they still pulled it out.

AK: If I had any faith that Stanford could score more than 20 points in Autzen, I'd rank this higher, but I'm not seeing that right now. Given how vulnerable the Cardinal looked against a passing spread QB and how they've been unable to force turnovers, I'm betting that Marcus Mariota and his sure hands will have the advantage this time around.

4. Cal at Oregon State - 7:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Stream on Pac-12 Networks Live

JF: Underrated game as I think these teams match-up very well and it is a huge game for both teams if they hope to get to a bowl this season. The Beavers have the defense to slow down the Bears, but their offense doesn't have the explosiveness to probably jet away from them and make it lopsided. I expect a down to the wire duel between Jared Goff and the forgotten Sean Mannion.

AK: The Beavers and Bears are both in must-win mode if they want to keep their bowl hopes on track. Cal's offense has not functioned too well this past month, but the Bear Raid will have a strong target in a vulnerable Oregon State defense. But the same is true with Sean Mannion versus a non-threatening Cal pass defending unit.  Fireworks in Corvallis!

5. Washington at Colorado - 10 a.m. Pac-12 Network

Stream on Pac-12 Networks Live

JF: Colorado has been so close to getting a Pac-12 win and they have an excellent chance to do it this week against a banged up Washington with a horrible offense. This one is on serious upset watch if you are willing to get up at 10 in the morning.

AK: The Huskies could be wasting a monstrous defense with this lifeless offense, and they're faced with a huge trap in Boulder if they're not careful. Colorado's offense is potent and can definitely put up points with anyone, and they're hungry for that first conference win.

6. USC at Washington State - 1:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Stream on Pac-12 Networks Live

JF: It looked like the wheels came back off the WSU wagon last weekend against Arizona, but we all know how poorly Steve Sarkisian teams play on the road and the Cougar offense still has the firepower to turn this one into a game. I would not be surprised if this turns into a duel between Connor Halliday and Cody Kessler.

AK: What figures to be the most lopsided game of the day has a seven point spread. Love it. Great game featuring a Cougar team in must-win mode against a Trojan team trying to not have the bottom fall out of its season. The Trojans should win (that WSU defense is practically on the verge of collapse), but don't expect the Cougars to make life easy on them.