Pac-12 Football Picks: Will I Go 0-Fer on Cal Predictions This Season?

A series of consequential games to pick on this week's conference schedule

UPDATED

My apologies in advance to the Cal football team.

For three weeks to start the season, I picked Cal to win. Against UCLA. Against Oregon State. Against Stanford.

And everytime, I was wrong.

Last week I ran out of faith in the Bears and picked Oregon.

Again, wrong.

I’m 0-for-4 on Cal, and there is an argument to be made that if I pick them to lose they will inevitably win. Well, maybe.

Problem is, I’m picking them to beat Washington State on Saturday, even in Pullman, even in the cold, perhaps even in snow.

Despite all the circumstantial evidence, I remain confident that my picks have nothing to do with the outcome of Cal’s games.

But just in case . . . sorry.

*** Cal coach Justin Wilcox talks in the video above about the Bears' prep this week.

Meanwhile, the Pac-12 schedule took a major hit Thursday when Washington announced it does not have enough COVID-free players to play Oregon on Saturday. The Pac-12 has declared the game a no-contest and the Huskies (3-1) are presumably declared the North division champs. 

Stay tuned. This can only get weirder

Here's our story on how the championship game matchup will be determined. It's simple and it's complicated.

All picks against the spread

Lines taken from vegasinsider.com (updated Tuesday lines)

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

Season: Jake 10-12, Jeff 7-15

Friday

Arizona State (minus-8) at Arizona (4 p.m., ESPN)

Jake: Arizona State got the rust off last week and should at least cover in this contest of winless rivals. Pick: Arizona State

Jeff: Neither of these teams has won a game. At least the Sun Devils have something resembling an excuse — they’ve only played twice. Pick: Arizona State

Utah (plus-3) at Colorado (6:30 p.m., FS1)

Jake: Colorado has more to play for, and home field matters in a game that starts at 10 a.m. local time. Pick: Colorado

Jeff: The best rushing offense in the Pac-12 vs. the best rushing defense. Utah has outscored CU 109-35 the past three years. These aren’t those Buffs. Or those Utes. Colorado is sniffing a possible Pac-12 South title no one envisioned. Pick: Colorado

Saturday

Cal (minus-1) at Washington State (1 p.m. FOX)

Jake: The Bears have handled Cougars’ passing game the past three years, and should do it again. Pick: Cal

Jeff: Cal quarterback Chase Garbers hails from Newport Beach, WSU freshman Jayden de Laura is from Hawaii. Neither faced freezing temps much there. I like the defense Garbers has behind him. Pick: Cal

USC (minus-2) at UCLA (4:30 p.m., ABC)

Jake: UCLA seems to be getting better every week, especially with Dorian Thompson-Robinson back. Pick: UCLA

Jeff: UCLA has improved. Not this much. Not with Kedon Slovis showing he can throw four touchdowns in a quarter.Not with the Pac-12 South title as a prize. Pick: USC

Stanford (minus-4) at Oregon State (7:30 p.m., ESPNU)

Jake: Jermar Jefferson is back for the Beavers, but they still have quarterback issues. Pick: Stanford

Jeff: Stanford has beaten OSU 10 straight times. But the margin a year ago was just 3 points, which would allowed the Beavers to cover the spread on Saturday. Jermar Jefferson is cleared to play OSU and Stanford is in uncharted territory on its two-week tour of the Northwest. Pick: Oregon State

.

*** Cover photo by Kelley L. Cox, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

Click the "follow" button in the top right corner to join the conversation on Cal Sports Report on SI. Access and comment on featured stories and start your own conversations and post external links on our community page