:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44034564/20131012_mbr_ai4_194.0.jpg)
Pac-12 Game of the Week - Utah at Stanford 3 p.m. Pac-12 Network
Stream on Pac-12 Networks Live
JF: Not a great week of games, so I am going with this slugfest as the game of the week. Unlike a lot of people, I actually prefer defensive battles to those 65-62 games that never end so I kind of like this one against two very similar teams that have a lot to play for. Stanford needs to win to try and salvage a disappointing season and Utah needs a win to try and avoid completely sliding off the rails.
AK: 10-7! 7-3! 9-6! All sorts of single-digit scores will be possible this weekend. Utes are in trouble though; they're catching a rested Cardinal defense on a bye week, and Utah is all banged up. The best news is that Utah's defense is probably even more game than Stanford, so I doubt the Cardinal will have a chance to really separate.
2. Arizona State at Oregon State 7:45 p.m. ESPN
JF: This could be the conference's worst game on some weeks, but not this one. This one is a definite potential trap for the Sun Devils a week after excelling in a marquee matchup and with the Beavers struggling, but still being a team that can beat you if you overlook them.
AK: Trapppppp. Trapppppp. TRAPPPPPP.
Oregon State needs this game if they have any hope at bowl eligibility. Arizona State is flush with confidence after two wins over top 25 teams and looking forward toward their college playoff season. Sean Mannion has the arm to put the football over Sun Devil's front seven. Mike Riley always derails someone's Pac-12 season, could very well be the Sun Devils if ASU is caught looking ahead.
3. Washington at Arizona 12:30 p.m. FOX
JF: This seems like a good game on paper, but anyone who has watched the Huskies in the past month knows that they are a mess and playing a road game against a high flying offense is probably not going to cure their blues. It will be a major statement for Chris Petersen if he can get his team to take this one down to the wire.
AK: Washington's offense is beyond redemption. Without Shaq Thompson, they are putrid on the scoring side of the football, and they're probably moving him back to defense this week because the Huskies are not very good on that side either right now. This is just a lot for Chris Petersen to overcome, especially with a Wildcats team that has been exploiting vulnerable defenses all year.
4. Cal at USC Thursday 6 p.m. ESPN
JF: Cal's offense has a shot at moving the ball against USC and putting up some points, but I think Cody Kessler and his fleet of receivers will bomb all over their secondary and Javorius Allen will run wild on their front seven making it hard for them to stay close. Weird things can happen on Thursday nights though and if Jared Goff and the Cal offense cannot be stopped, they could try and outscore the Trojans in a shootout.
AK: Anyone who believes Cal has a great shot at this game should go take a look at Nelson Agholor and JuJu Smith and how absolutely unguardable they will be by the overmatched Cal cornerbacks. Your best bet is the Trojans not taking this game seriously and looking ahead to their clash with UCLA. Which is possible. This is Sark. Still probably not enough.