Pac-12 Football Picks: How Late Will the Joe Roth Game Go and Who Wins It?

Bowl eligibility is on the line for the Bears against the USC Trojans

Five games on the docket in the Pac-12 this weekend, including the Joe Roth Game at Memorial Stadium that is so big it could spill over into a second day.

Kickoff for that Cal-USC game will be 8:15 p.m., so with any delays whatsoever we'll be inching toward midnight. 

That Eastern time zone audience is gonna love the finish of this game . . . approaching 3 a.m.

Anyway, here are this week's picks:

All picks against the spread

Lines taken from vegasinsider.com (opening lines used)

Last week: Jake 2-2, Jeff 1-3

Season: Jake 37-36, Jeff 33-40

Stanford (plus-12) at Washington State

Jake: Stanford is tough to figure out, but it should stay within 12 points of a team that has lost five of its last six games. Pick: Stanford

Jeff: Stanford isn’t tough to figure out. It’s impossible. At least it has been for me. (Of course, by the looks of my pathetic record, they’ve all been tough). I’ll give the Cardinal one more shot. Pick: Stanford

Arizona State (even) at Oregon State

Jake: Arizona State QB Jayden Daniels is expected to return, but the Sun Devils have been fading. Pick: Oregon State

Jeff: The Beavers have the weirdest of records in conference play. They are 3-0 on the road (UCLA, Cal, Arizona) and 0-3 at home (Stanford, Utah, Washington). It’s no doubt why the oddsmaker have this as a pick-em. Pick: Oregon State

UCLA (plus-20) at Utah

Jake: Twenty points seems like a huge spread considering UCLA has won three straight. The Utes will win, but the Bruins will score. Pick: UCLA

Jeff: The spread is big, but the Utes need to impress the College Football Playoff committee and you don’t do that by beating UCLA 21-7. Pick: Utah

Arizona (plus-24 1/2) at Oregon

Jake: Oregon has a chance to get to the College Football Playoff, and the Wildcats are a mess with a quarterback controversy. But something like 31-7 still beats the spread. Pick: Arizona

Jeff: Yes, 31-7 beats the spread. But 45-7 doesn’t. Big day for Justin Herbert. Pick: Oregon

USC (minus-4) at Cal

Jake: Cal did well against a similar passing attack against Washington State. And the Bears want to play well in their final home game. Pick: Cal

Jeff: Bowl eligibility awaits Cal with a victory. And I envision Evan Weaver doing something memorable in his final home game. Think Marshawn Lynch and the golf cart. Hope so, anyway. Right? Pick: Cal