PAC-12’s Nouveau Riche: Cal at UU | OSU at AZ
PAC-12 new-fangled Conference unbeatens meet in Salt Lake
Rested Beavers travel to Desert to face languishing Cats
Sat Oct 10, 2015 | 10:05 PM, EDT | ESPN
Rice-Eccles Stadium | Salt Lake City, Utah
#23 CALIFORNIA BEARS 4-0 (1-0 Conf)
#5 UTAH UTES 5-0 (2-0 Conf)
Cal exceptional passing game vs Utah formidable pass defense
California is enormously fortunate to be unbeaten
The Bears were lifted off canvas vs Wazzu last week by a crazy chain of events
Combo of Bear Defensive insurrection
And by Wazzu’s latest chapter in the NW phenomenon known as ‘Cougin-it’
Just the week before, Cal escaped OT in Austin,
When UT missed a game-tying XP at the gun
Bears have skulked thru their last 3 games (3-0) by 4.3 point average margin
Both these teams have generated a +1½ Game Turnover margin
As we know, UU played a difficult schedule
Utah took down Michigan, Utah St, Fresno St & Oregon
Utah won by 7 then 10 then 21 then 42 points
Utah scored 24 then 24 then 45 then 62 points
These Utes brings unspeakably solid special teams (#1 FBS - Steele)
UU is especially balanced & strong on Defense
Utes present a physical Defensive Front 7
Cal QB Goff & his rapid release could have success if he gets time
UU hasn’t pressured QB’s quite as well this season
Yet Bears OL has allowed a lot of leakage, and even 2½ sacks/game vs FBS
Utah should expose Cal on Saturday
As Bears head down the deadliest stretch of their 2015 schedule
2 UNIT
CALIFORNIA
UTAH -7 (-110 | sportsbook.ag)
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Refreshed Beavers travel to Desert to face languishing Cats
Sat Oct 10, 2015 | 4:05 PM, EDT | Fox-1
Arizona Stadium | Tucson, Arizona
OREGON STATE BEAVERS 2-2 (0-1 Conf)
ARIZONA WILDCATS 3-2 (0-2 Conf)
OSU comes into Conference Road opener after mini-vacation of 15 days off
However, the teams OSU has played in September
Are almost entirely opposite from a speed/spread team like Az
Playing Michigan & Stanford does not prepare a team to play these Cats
OSU has won an unthinkable SIX consecutive games IN TUCSON
The Beavers Rush Defense has really not been great
Only the Cats have allowed more rushing yards
Though it looks like Arizona QB Anu Solomon will be cleared play Saturday
Either QB AZ (Solomon or Jerrard Randall) should have time to throw vs OSU
The Beavers Pass Defense has been statistically good
OSU Pass D is #1 PAC-12 vs FBS Teams at (164 yards allowed)
This is tempered greatly (once again) by the opponents OSU has faced
Stanford & Michigan are ‘relic’ run first, Pro-Set’ teams,
The Beavers allowing just 164 passing yards vs FBS Teams
Yet OSU is last in the Conference in Sacks (just 0.67/game)
The Beaver Secondary has outperformed expectations
Yet the Beaver O & D-Lines are still just very undermanned & outflanked
OSU’s Dead-last PAC-12 Offense should be tonic for the Dead-last Az Defense
Especially since Cats’ Defense is strong on the Edges
Which ought to frustrate OSU Fr QB Collins a great deal
OSU is probably going to be the ‘get-well’ game for Az & several other PAC-12 teams
Az is banged up, yet OSU’s one inspired half vs Stanford probably overvalued the Beavs
In the words of OSU HC Gary Andersen,
‘We gave it our all and played about as well as we possibly could vs Stanford’
OSU olayed as well as they possibly could - yet lost by 18 and didn’t cover?
We projected the 2015 Beavers would have a good shot at 2-7 Conference Record
OSU should be small favorites vs CU & UW at home
Az should get back on track vs Beavers in a 44-27 type game
2 UNIT
OREGON STATE
ARIZONA -8½ (-110 | sportsbook.ag)
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½ UNIT | 7-POINT TEASER (-130 | sportsbook.ag)
WASHINGTON
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -10
To
BOISE STATE
COLORADO STATE +23
All the best, guys