Pac-12 Football Picks: After a 55-Year Wait, Can Cal Get It Done vs. Notre Dame?
The final full weekend of non-conference play arrives with 11 Pac-12 teams in action on Saturday, nine of them at home.
One of the two teams venturing beyond the conference borders is Cal, which plays at South Bend, Indiana, in the first meeting between the two programs sine 1967.
There are some other matchups of intrigue — and consequence.
Unbeaten BYU visits Oregon, Michigan State treks to Seattle to take on Washington and Jeff Tedford’s Fresno State squad heads to the L.A. Coliseum to test USC.
A fun weekend. Then we move on to Pac-12 play.
Week 2 records: Jeff 10-1, Jake 9-2
Season records: Jeff 19-4, Jake 16-7
All picks against the spread
Betting line from sisportsbook.com
Saturday
-- SOUTH ALABAMA (plus-16) at UCLA, Pac-12 Networks, 11 a.m.
JAKE: Both teams are 2-0 but South Alabama’s schedule has been even easier than UCLA’s, if that’s possible. Pick: UCLA
JEFF: The Bruins have scored 45 points in each of their first two games. The sounds about right. Pick: UCLA
-- CAL (plus-11) at NOTRE DAME, NBC, 11:30 a.m.
JAKE: Will the Irish be motivated or flustered? They must rely on their No. 2 quarterback, and Cal’s defense will keep it close. Pick: Cal
JEFF: This game feels like a defensive battle, and 11 points is too big a spread in a low-scoring game. Pick: Cal
-- BYU (plus-4) at OREGON, Fox, 12:30 p.m.
JAKE: BYU is coming off a win over Baylor, and I’m not convinced Oregon is any good even after scoring 70 points against a Big Sky team. Pick: BYU
JEFF: Scoring 10 touchdowns against Eastern Washington impressed no one. Beating Steve Young’s alma mater gets the Ducks some attention. Pick: Oregon
-- COLORADO (plus-28) at MINNESOTA, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.
JAKE: Who knows who will be the Buffs’ quarterback this week; all we know is he will struggle. A huge spread, but . . . Pick: Minnesota
JEFF: Hard to believe, but Colorado may be the best team the Golden Gophers have faced this season. Yes, better than either New Mexico State or Eastern Illinois. But the Buffs are 126th nationally in scoring. Pick: Minnesota
-- COLORADO STATE (plus-17) at WASHINGTON STATE, Pac-12 Networks, 2 p.m.
JAKE: WSU hasn’t been scoring many points while going 2-0, but QB Cameron Ward may get it going this week. Pick: Washington State
JEFF: Colorado State has given up 85 points in two losses. The Cougars should add to that carnage. Pick: Washington State
-- MICHIGAN STATE (plus-3.5) at WASHINGTON, ABC, 4:30 p.m.
JAKE: Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. faced Michigan State twice while he was at Indiana, going 1-1. That’s no help. Pick: Washington
JEFF: The Spartans have feasted on a couple of MAC teams, scoring 87 points in home games. Husky Stadium will be a different experience. Pick: Washington
-- MONTANA STATE (No line) at OREGON STATE, Pac-12 Networks, 5 p.m.
JAKE: This one may be closer than we expect, so I’m glad the spread is not posted. Pick: Oregon State
JEFF: The Big Sky’s Bobcats are averaging 51.5 points and 564 yards per game. But their most recent stab at playing a Pac-12 school resulted in a 31-0 loss at Washington State five years ago. Pick: Oregon State.
-- SAN DIEGO STATE (plus-21) at UTAH, ESPN2, 7 p.m.
JAKE: That’s a lot of points to give to a team expected to challenge for the Mountain West title, but Utah can dominate. Pick: Utah
JEFF: The Aztecs lost to Arizona by 18 points in San Diego. We’re pretty sure the Utes are better than Arizona. Pick: Utah
-- FRESNO STATE (plus-12.5) at USC, FOX, 7:30 p.m.
JAKE: USC has yet to commit a turnover, but I feel one coming. That will be enough for Jake Haener to keep it close. Pick: Fresno State.
JEFF: Former Cal standout Nikko Remigio has back-to-back 100-yard receiving games for Fresno State. He’s gonna need another one to give the Bulldogs a chance. Pick: USC
-- NORTH DAKOTA STATE (No line) at ARIZONA, FS1, 8 p.m.
JAKE: Don’t know why Arizona scheduled North Dakota State, the No. 1-ranked FCS team this week. This is a tossup. Pick: North Dakota State
JEFF: From 2010 through ’16, the powerhouse Bison beat six FBS teams without a loss. None since then . . . because no one was crazy enough to risk it. Pick: North Dakota State
-- EASTERN MICHIGAN (plus-19) at ARIZONA STATE, Pac-12 Networks, 8 p.m.
JAKE: Could come down to the fourth quarter as far as covering the spread. We’re betting ASU will try to pour it on. Pick: Arizona State
JEFF: EMU has played one game ever against a current member of the Pac-12 . . . and lost 55-0 at Arizona in 1988. Pick: Arizona State
Cover photo of Fresno State's Nikko Remigio by Cary Edmondson, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
