Week 9 Recap
Another week of Pac-12 football is in the books. There were a few surprises on Saturday, specifically Oregon State giving Washington State a run for their money. Let's take a look at my picks for this week. As a reminder, I do not actually gamble on these games myself. This blog is designed to help you make your picks using statistical analysis.
USC 45, CAL 24 (Pick: Cal +20, Under 75.5)
USC made sure Cal QB Davis Webb didn't enjoy his visit to the Coliseum.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
This game went as expected. The Bears had no answers on defense and USC racked up a season-high 629 yards of offense. The Trojans extended their winning streak to four straight and thirteen in a row over Cal. USC quarterback Sam Darnold threw for five touchdowns, along with running back Ronald Jones rushing for a career-high 223 yards.The only reason Cal was competitive for the first half was due to Darnold fumbling twice. Next week, Cal has the tall task of Washington coming into town, who is still yet to lose a game. USC takes on Oregon in what may be a repeat of the performance they put up this week. In this matchup, I missed the spread by one point, but I hit on the under of 75.5 as USC was able to stifle Cal's offense just enough.
Stanford 34, Arizona 10 (Pick: Stanford -5.5., Under 48)
Christian McCaffrey burst back onto the national scene in a big way, accounting for 223 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. I hit on the spread and the over/under thanks to my faith in McCaffrey and his desire to scorch the opposing team any way he can. New starting quarterback Keller Chryst didn't look great filling in for Ryan Burns, but the Cardinal doubled their scoring average for the year of 17. That average ranks 127th out of 128 FBS schools. Yikes! Arizona was shut down from the very beginning. They had no answer for McCaffrey as he ran circles around their defense and special teams. Next week, Stanford will look to become bowl-eligible against a rejuvenated Oregon State squad. Arizona will head to Washington State to try and give the cougars their first Pac-12 loss of the season.
Oregon 54, Arizona State 35 (Pick: Oregon -8, Over 78)
Oregon has found its quarterback of the future in freshman Justin Herbert.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert tied the school record for passing yards in a game with 489! The freshman also accounted for six touchdowns in a very impressive game. I hit on the spread and the over/under, figuring the Ducks were due for a win in Eugene. Arizona State's defense has been their Achilles' heel this year and they have faltered after starting the season 4-0. The Sun Devils surrendered 734 total yards in a game that saw absolutely no defense. That seems to be a recurring theme in the Pac-12 this year. Next week, Oregon faces USC in a very touch matchup as the Trojans have won four straight. The Sun Devils take on an intriguing Utah team that has found its offense flourishing at the perfect time.
Washington State 35, Oregon State 31 (Pick: Washington State -13, Under 57.5)
Luke Falk's play has kept the Cougars undefeated in conference play.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Beavers had the Cougars had the on the ropes in the first half, leading 24-6 at halftime. But in typical Beaver fashion, they ran out of steam and surrendered 29 points in the second half while only scoring seven themselves. Wazzu quarterback Luke Falk threw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns, including two to dynamic wide receiver Gabe Marks. Oregon State's Ryan Nall contributed three touchdowns for the underdog Beavers, but it wasn't enough against the Cougars' Air Raid offense. Washington State keeps their winning streak alive and takes on a struggling Wildcats team next week. I completely misread this game, missing on the spread and the over/under. Oregon State put up an impressive showing despite their collapse, as I gave them no chance from the beginning.
#4 Washington 31, #17 Utah 24 (Pick: Washington -10, Over 52)
This was definitely the game of the week in the Pac-12. Utah and Washington traded blows all game, with the deciding touchdown coming in the form of a 58- yard punt return touchdown by Dante Pettis late in the fourth quarter. For this game, I missed on the spread but hit on the over. Utah played a solid game with running back Joe Williams racking up 172 yards rushing. Washington quarterback Jake Browning didn't have his best game, throwing for 186 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw his third interception of the season. His Heisman hopes may have taken a hit as this game was nationally televised. Utah will use this week to recover on bye, while Washington travels to Cal in hopes of keeping their National Championship hopes alive.
Overall, I went 6-4 this week, a downgrade from the 7-3 record I posted last week. The Pac-12 is having an interesting season and the race for the championship is really starting to heat up. The games will be really competitive from here on out. Feel free to leave any comments and critiques, I will get back to you. Picks will be posted later this week.
Ron Stove's record for the season: 13-7.
*All lines and over/under taken from www.vegasinsider.com*
