The PAC Twelver - Week 6

First: #7 Washington (5-1 / 3-0 PAC 12) took UCLA’s (0-5 / 0-2 PAC-12) best punch on Saturday, and stood it up 31-24 in The Rose Bowl. Huskies senior running back “For” Myles Gaskin (27 carries / 116 yards / 2 TD’s / 4.3 YPC) again went the distance for U Dub, and with their elite defense, the Dawgs will be extremely tough to beat the rest of the way.

Second: Readers of ‘The Twelver’ know that Huskies senior linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven (16 tackles / 1 QBH / 1 PD vs. UCLA) is one of my favorite players in the country, and for good reason. BBK is the oldschool Junior Seau-type of linebacker that plays lightning fast sideline to sideline, but also hits like a bag of rocks. It’s a pleasant change of place to watch real defense being played still, in a world the NFL has tailored to favor offensive football.

Third: #7 Washington (5-1) at #17 Oregon (4-1) this weekend is the biggest game of the year in the PAC-12, by a fairly wide margin. Start chilling your beverages and moving them near your couch folks, you will not want to get up during that game. #SaturdaySodas #DawgsVs.Ducks

Fourth: Before the season began I predicted that Stanford would win the PAC-12 this year, but from what I have seen up to the halfway point of ’18, I must change my stance considerably and say that it’s U Dub’s to lose. On the same level, only two weeks ago I wrote that the #17 Ducks would upset #7 Washington at home on 10/13, but I am again going to flop on a prediction. Either way, it is likely a coin flip, but I now think the Huskies will pull out a close one in Eugene. “It’s just like, my opinion, man.” - The Dude

Fifth: In other news, my #14 Stanford Cardinal (4-2 / 2-1 PAC 12) got taken out behind the woodshed for the second week in a row, this time in a 40-21 loss at home to Utah (3-2 / 1-2 PAC 12). Utes junior RB Zack “Quick like” Moss (20 carries / 160 yards / 2 TD’s / 8.0 YPC) flourished amongst The Trees, and when Utah puts all three phases together they are a respectable blue-collar unit.

Sixth: I have always thought that Utah’s head coach Kyle Whittingham (114-58 career record) runs a great program, and is an underrated entity amidst the landscape of college football.

Seventh: #19 Colorado (5-0 / 2-0 PAC 12) proved they are for real this past weekend, beating a God-fearing Arizona State (3-3 / 1-2 PAC 12) squad 28-21 in Boulder. Buffaloes sophomore wideout Laviska “yes Laviska” Shenault Jr. (13 receptions / 127 yards / 2 TD’s / 9.8 YPR / 5 carries / 2 rushing TD’s) ran all over the Sun Devils secondary, scoring two touchdowns recieving, and two more rushing. #GetBuffBeBuffStayBuff

Eighth: I am still not sure how #19 Colorado fits in to the PAC-12 Title conversation, but we will learn a great deal about their state of affairs in the next two outings, as they play at USC (3-2) and then at #7 Washington (5-1) respectively.

Ninth: ‘The Pirate’ Mike Leach and his band of Cougars (5-1 / 2-1 PAC 12) swashbuckled those “Dam” Beavers (1-5 / 0-3 PAC 12) in Corvallis last Saturday night, and 56-37 was the final booty. “The” Gardner Minshew (30 for 40 passing / 430 yards / 5 TD’s / 89.9 QBR) bushwhacked the Beavers “Dam” defense for 5 touchdowns and over 400-yards passing.

Tenth: Much like #19 Colorado (5-0) in the PAC-12 South, WSU (5-1) in the North could still have a miracle season if that funny shaped ball bounces their way. Only time will tell. #WinterIsComing

Eleventh: Arizona (3-3 / 2-1 PAC 12) gave their most complete performance of the year thus far in a 24-17 victory over CAL (3-2 / 0-2 PAC 12) at home. Wildcats sophomore safety Scottie “Forever” Young Jr. (8 tackles / 2 INT / 2 PD / 1 defensive TD), the pride and joy of San Diego powerhouse Helix high school, had himself a fine day at the Bears expense.

Twelfth: As shocking as this may be from a guy that writes a column called ‘The Twelver’, I got officially overserved while witnessing the beating that Utah put on my beloved Stanford Cardinal this past weekend. Don’t tell mom. Anyhow, I will mention the three best PAC-12 games to be tipping adult beverages for this coming weekend as I always do, but as I previously stated #7 Washington (5-1) at #17 Oregon (4-1) is clearly numero uno. It is for all the marbles, and will essentially determine who is the top Dawg, or Duck, in the conference. #19 Colorado (5-0) at USC (3-2), and Arizona (3-3) at Utah (3-2) will also be solid matchups this week, for the PAC-12 fans out there who can literally drink all day. There is certainly no judgement of that behavior here at The Twelver folks. Get loose. No matter the final scores though, please feel free to drop a line here with your favorite beers, cocktails, or wines for game days. Good luck to your side this weekend, and as always, cheers y’all.