Pac-12 Football Week 4 Preview

With the first three weeks of Pac-12 football in the books, the conference is starting to take shape. Although this is a bye week for several Pac-12 teams, the eight that will go into battle this weekend should have a proper fight on their hands. The biggest games will be Utah heading to Michigan for non-conference play, while Cal/Arizona and Oregon/Washington State will provide us some excellent conference showdowns. Here is the Pac-12 football preview for Week 4. Be warned, there are a few upsets lurking about.

Colorado vs Hawai’i, 11 a.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Sep 13, 2014; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau (13) throws a pass during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field . Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

What little momentum Colorado had from last season seems to be gone… at least with their defense. The Buffaloes are giving up 35.7 points a game. They are just lucky they have some offense to back them up in sophomore QB Sefo Liufau who is averaging 279 yards per game. Now will that be enough to fend off the feisty Rainbow Warriors? The Norm Chow-led football team has already gone toe-to-toe with two Pac-12 teams, losing by only a point to Washington and 8 points to Oregon State, which is why we are calling an upset.

Prediction: Hawai’i 28 – Oregon State 17

Utah at Michigan, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN2 or ABC)

Now this should be a really fun game. Despite a 2-1 record, Michigan is not that great. Sure they wrecked Appalachian State and Miami (OH), but when they played a real contender, they got smashed 31-0 by Notre Dame. Utah will certainly give them trouble. The Ute defense is very good, but it is their offense that is blown the doors wide open. Per game, Utah is averaging 309.5 passing yards, 248 rushing yards and their 57.5 points is 3rd in the nation. What might be perceived as an upset, is just Utah being better than Michigan.

Prediction: Utah 38 – Michigan 17

Washington vs Georgia State, 3 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

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Seriously? Georgia State? Come on Washington. Well, actually, maybe the Huskies need a game like this. At this point, Washington really has not proven anything in the young tenure of coach Chris Petersen. The Huskies struggled against Hawai’i and FCS Eastern Washington. They did manage to find some light in a blowout victory over Illinois with a defensive showing behind linebacker Shaq Thompson who had a fumble recovery and an interception returned for touchdowns. It should be more of the same in this contest.

Prediction: Georgia State 14 – Washington 33

Cal at Arizona, 7 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Cal has shocked lot of people in this young season. In their last game, they smacked around Sacramento State after they also went to Northwestern and put a beat down on the Wildcats. This week, it is a different the of Wildcats that the Golden Bears have to tangle with. Arizona started strong with a blow out of UNLV, but then struggled in their last two against UTSA and Nevada. While the Wildcat defense looks like it needs some work, the offense is getting 314.3 per game and 268.3 rushing yards a game. Plus, they are playing at Arizona Stadium, where the Wildcats are pretty lethal. If Cal wants to win, they have to put out an incredible defensive effort.

Prediction: Cal 33 – Arizona 35

Oregon State vs San Diego State, 7:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1)

Aug 30, 2014; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Storm Woods (24) heads upfield for a touchdown against the Portland State Vikings at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon State has not looked very impressive this season. San Diego State, on the other hand, has looked damn decent. The Aztecs lost by only four points at #21 North Carolina in their last game and look to keep that momentum going. The Beavers on the other hand, struggled with both Portland State and Hawai’i. OSU needs to continue to focus on their offensive game as QB Sean Mannion has thrown for 300 and 328 yards in the last two games.

Prediction: San Diego State 30 – Oregon State 24

Oregon at Washington State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Remember when the Cougars played at Autzen Stadium last year? The Ducks were throttling them well into the fourth quarter (and eventually won 62-38). That did not stop Washington State head coach Mike Leach from keeping in his starters to finish the game. That irked then defensive coordinator Mike Aliotti as he called Leach “low class”. He even added, “That’s total bullsh*t that he threw the ball at the end of the game like he did.” I do not believe that Leach has forgotten that, although he said that he is approaching this game like he does every game, but there has to be a certain fire getting this Cougar team ready. At this point, Oregon is still too good for WSU to beat, but it will be fun to see the Cougars go down swinging.

Prediction: Oregon 55 – Washington State 42