Washington State hosts College Gameday and Oregon. But there are other big games in the Pac-12, too
Week eight of the Pac-12 season has a “good news, bad news” feel to it this weekend.
The good news: College Gameday is headed to Washington State for the first time and every team is in action with both divisions having big games.
The bad news: Teams we thought that would be better are not and now we get very, very, very underwhelming matchups (Looking at you Arizona at UCLA).
For all the good and bad that this week of football provides, this week is actually very important in terms of the North and South divisions. USC has a golden opportunity to create significant distance between them and the rest of the South. In the North, you’ve got Washington State and Oregon in a battle that sees the winner join Washington atop the standings.
And speaking of the Huskies, their showdown with Colorado is no cakewalk either.
Here’s a breakdown of the games:
Thursday night
Stanford at Arizona State (6 p.m. ESPN)
After two straight losses, Stanford finds themselves on the brink of falling out of the North division race. Things won’t get any easier this week in the desert. Without Bryce Love, who remains questionable for Thursday’s game, it could be another long night for the Cardinal against an Arizona State team that is well rested and still has a (very small) chance to be a factor in the Pac-12 South.
Must see rating, 5.6/10: Not exactly the best sporting event of the night but it is hard to compete with LeBron’s Lakers debut and the MLB playoffs.
Saturday
Colorado at No. 15 Washington (12:30 p.m., Fox)
Had both Washington and Colorado won this past Saturday, you could’ve had a strong argument for “College Gameday” in Seattle. However, both teams lost and now have to suffer the “brutal” fate of a huge conference game on national TV. I think they’ll be OK. As for the game, Colorado’s challenge is to keep pace with USC and hold off Utah and Arizona. If last week is any indication, it will be a rough ride in Seattle.
Must see rating, 7.7/10: Huge road test for the Buffs and we get to see how Washington responds after a brutal loss in Eugene. Should be a solid game.
Cal at Oregon State (1 p.m., Pac-12 Net)
There might be a bit more intrigue had Cal defeated UCLA this past weekend, which would have kept the Bears a player in the North ... but with the loss they are merely playing to get closer to a bowl game. The Beavers could not have come at a better time. Aren’t the Bears blessed?
Must see rating, 3.4/10: It might offer some intrigue with the Bears going on the road but this game will be nothing more than a healthy scoreboard glance as you watch other games during the day.
No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State (4:30 p.m., Fox)
College Gameday in attendance, a huge game with conference implications. You can make a strong case that Saturday’s game between the Cougars and the Ducks is the most important conference game of the season so far (apologies to last week’s UW-Oregon game). A WSU win sets up a potential Apple Cup showdown for the North Division against Washington later on in the season. A Ducks win puts Oregon in the driver’s seat. One thing to watch is how healthy the Ducks are for Saturday’s contest.
Must see rating, 9.3/10: Huge game, and you should cancel all plans and watch it.
USC at Utah (5 p.m., Pac-12 Net)
The Trojans are starting to turn things around and they’ve already passed one midseason test at home vs. Colorado. Now comes a more difficult test, going on the road at Utah. Since taking over in 2015, USC coach Clay Helton has a career record of 9-8 on the road with the Trojans. The last USC coach to win in Salt Lake City was Lane Kiffin back in 2012. Not only can the Trojans pretty much end the race in the South Division with a win, but they can exercise some demons while they’re at it.
Must see rating, 8.6/10: A sleeper game of the day, not only in the conference but around the nation. Too bad its on the Pac-12 Network, where only 17 people can see it.
Arizona at UCLA (7:30 p.m., ESPN2)
This game had the makings of an elimination game back in the month of August. Now, if you’re willingly going to watch this game then I’ve gotta question your sanity. In defense of both teams, this game would be virtually unwatchable had it not been for surprise win by the Bruins over Cal last week. It may be strange to say that an Arizona team that is halfway to a bowl bid is unwatchable but there has been no consistency from the Wildcats under Kevin Sumlin in his first season.
Must see rating, 3.1/10: #Pac12AfterDark always has the ability to get a little nuts but I’m not so confident in these two providing any craziness.
This story was originally published October 17, 2018 at 7:10 AM with the headline "Washington State hosts College Gameday and Oregon. But there are other big games in the Pac-12, too."