clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Pac-12 Picks: Week 9

We all nailed our Locks last week. Can we do the same this week?

Steve Dykes

Don't look now, but we went 3-0 in our Locks last week, winning each of them very comfortably. That means Scott finally has a winning Lock, and with it he became the first one of us to leap over .500 overall.

Can we continue our hot streak?

Here are this week's picks:

UCLA at Arizona State (-6.5)

Jack: Arizona State. Last week was not kind to the Devils, but I think they'll bounce back with a stronger defensive performance.

Jacob: UCLA. Both of these teams come in with new coaches and too many wins early for the actual talent on their teams. I'll take the team coming off a bye instead of the one coming off a home drubbing.

Scott: Arizona State. The Sun Devils' Thursday night performance against Oregon was a letdown, but UCLA got destroyed at Cal. Advantage ASU.

Colorado at Oregon (-45.5)

Jack: Oregon. Colorado couldn't cover a 40-point spread against USC, who isn't as good as Oregon... so I'll take the Ducks.

Jacob: Colorado. This is a recipe for disaster (picking Colorado last week kept me from a perfect 5-0 slate) and I know it. But I just can't believe Oregon will have any scholarship players on the field by the third quarter, and just maybe Colorado can lose by only six touchdowns?

Scott: Oregon. Florida State was a 70-point favorite against Savannah State earlier this season. This line should probably exceed that. How soon will Chip Kelly call off the dogs?

USC (-6.5) at Arizona

Jack: Arizona. Betting against USC has been a moneymaker so far this season, and even though I think the Trojans will win, I'm gonna shake things up and go with Arizona at home.

Jacob: Arizona. My "pick against USC" strategy finally hit a roadblock in the form of Colorado, but I'm sticking with it. Arizona finally looked like the juggernaut it can be against a lesser team, and I'm not convinced USC is good enough to outscore Arizona by a touchdown in the desert.

Scott: USC. Arizona looked very impressive against Washington and USC could be looking ahead to its showdown with Oregon, but I like the Trojans by a touchdown.

Washington State at Stanford (-24.5)

Jack: Stanford. The Cougars won't be able to stop Stanford's offense and should really struggle against the defense. Score: Stanford 45, Washington State 17.

Jacob: Washington State. Stanford is a much, much better team than Washington State. Let me make that clear. But 24.5 is an awful lot of points for a team with offensive problems, and the intangibles all favor Wazzu to make it reasonably close. Score: Stanford 37, Washington State 17.

Scott: Washington State. That's a lot of points to give when you've scored more than 21 points only twice all season. Score: Stanford 35, Washington State 13.

Cal at Utah (-1)

Jack: Utah. Cal's performance last week was like an old cheese quesadilla - cold, flat, and boring. So I'll pick the Utes at home and expect Star Lotulelei to have a huge game against the Bears' O-line.

Jacob: Utah. Both teams have been big disappointments this year, and the loser of this game is basically eliminated from bowl contention. I'll take the home team.

Scott: Utah. I have no reason to believe that Cal will win another game this season.

Oregon State (-3.5) at Washington

Jack: Oregon State. Obviously. #BeaverJuice

Jacob: Oregon State. This has become a trendy upset pick, but you usually need to score to pull an upset. Beavers will keep on rolling.

Scott: Oregon State. Can't bet against the Beavers, even in a tough environment on the road.

Lock of the Week

Jack: Auburn. And by that I mean Oregon State.

Jacob: Washington State. I know, it's weird to use my Lock against Stanford, especially when the team is as bad as Washington State. But Stanford is coming off a Big Game win and has no reason to be pumped up for this game, while Wazzu is coming off a bye and actually has not lost by more than 25 points all year.

Scott: Arizona State. I expect a nice bounce-back win for the Sun Devils.