Pac-12 Football Game Picks: Can Cal Secure Bowl Eligibility in the Conference Finale?

The Pac-12 as we know it — and have known it with minor alterations for as long as we can remember — conducts its final regular-season games this weekend.

Oregon State and Oregon clash in their annual rivalry game on Friday evening before we watch five more games on Saturday.

Cal’s visit to UCLA, with a lot on the line, will mark the final Pac-12 regular-season game before the conference splinters next fall, with 10 teams headed to new affiliations.

The Bears (5-6, 3-5) need a win over the Bruins (7-4, 4-4) to gain bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Can they make some magic happen in the finale of Pac-12 after dark?

Last week: Jake 4-2, Jeff 4-2,

Season: Jake 44-40, Jeff 44-40

All picks against the spread

Betting line from sisportsbook.com

Friday

— No. 11 Oregon State (plus-13.5) at No. 6 Oregon, 5:30 p.m., FOX

Jake: This seems like a big spread for a team as sound as the Beavers, but the game is at Autzen Stadium where this Oregon team is capable of pounding any opponent. Pick: Oregon

Jeff: The College Football Playoff folks haven’t gotten the word yet, but I’m not alone in my belief that the Ducks (not Washington) are the Pac-12’s best team. They’re a beast at home and they have uber-motivation to play well in this one. Pick: Oregon

Saturday

— Colorado (plus-22.5) at No. 22 Utah, noon, Pac-12 Network

Jake: Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders might not play, and we saw last week what Colorado’s offense looked like without him. And against Utah’s defense? Oh brother. Pick: Utah

Jeff: This is a lot of points to give for a Utah team coming off a shellacking at Arizona. But the Utes are at home and Colorado has turned out to be not (nearly) as good as it looked in mid-September. Pick: Utah

— No. 17 Arizona (minus-11.5) at Arizona State, 12:30 p.m., ESPN

Jake: Rivalry games are always tough to predict, but I’m sticking with the Noah Fifita express. Pick: Arizona

Jeff: Playing its rival as a big favorite on the road didn’t deter Cal in the Big Game and it won’t derailed the Wildcats against the Pac-12’s worst team. Pick: Arizona

— Washington State (plus-16.5) at No. 5 Washington, 1 p.m., FOX

Jake: The Huskies have not won any of their past seven games by more than 10 points, and the Cougars looked pretty good last week. The game being in Seattle is a concern, but . . . . Pick: Washington State

Jeff: Could the Cougars pull the upset over the playoff-dreaming Huskies? Not a chance, certainly not in Husky Stadium. Pick: Washington

— No. 19 Notre Dame (minus-24.5) at Stanford, 4 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Jake: Tough to bet on a Stanford team that is 0-6 at home, but the Irish have not been great on the road where they have had turnover issues. And this is a huge spread. Pick: Stanford.

Jeff: Yes, the point spread is big. But Stanford’s offense is challenged enough that the Irish likely only need to score 30 points or so to cover. Pick: Notre Dame

— Cal (plus-8.5) at UCLA, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Jake: Is Chip Kelly’s job on the line? Are the Bruins as good as they looked against USC last week? Can Ethan Garbers, or whoever is UCLA’s quarterback, play mistake-free ball? Too many questions. Pick: Cal

Jeff: Cal has played pretty well the past two weeks, but UCLA’s defense creates a bad matchup for the Bears. The Bruins are nearly impossible to run on and Cal needs its ground game to function well to set up the pass. UCLA’s offense is nothing special but its defense is elite. Pick: UCLA

Cover photo of Jaydn Ott running against UCLA last season by Kyle Terada, USA Today

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