PAC-10 Predictions, Week 8

Season record is now 43-6 with this week's Duck game in the bag. ESPN's Ted Miller, who doesn't have a day job, is a meager 34-12, a full 1.50 in the hole.

Arizona State at California

The Sun Devils are coming off a bye and an encouraging win on the road over Washington. Anyone think this conference is confusing? Oregon State beat Arizona in Tucson, Washington beat Oregon State and USC, Arizona State beat Washington, Cal clubbed UCLA, played Arizona close, and got pasted by USC. The league is likely to wind up with Oregon and Stanford at the top, and a bunch of 4-5 and 5-4 teams. Doesn't make for confident predicting.

The Bears are erratic, and The Devils have a hard-hitting defense and a capable offense that seems to be finding itself. USC bottled up Shane Vereen pretty well, and ASU has the talent at linebacker to follow the Trojan model.

ASU 31- Cal 20

Washington State at Stanford

The Cardinal also had a bye last week, and the Cougars chances for an upset conference victory don't look good. WSU is something like 1-21 in league games under Paul Wulff. They've made good efforts against UCLA, Oregon and Arizona, but Jim Harbaugh's tough, disciplined Stanford club is probably the least likely to overlook anybody. They'll pour on the cruelty.

Stanford 51, Washington State 17

Washington at Arizona

Both teams are 2-1 in conference, with Oregon yet to play, so the loser is alive for the conference championship and the loser is likely not. Washington at 3-3 needs a couple of upset wins in the season's second half to make a bowl in Jake Locker's senior year.

For Arizona, quarterback Nick Foles is out with a dislocated kneecap and Matt Scott takes his place. Scott threw well in a relief role against against Washington State (14-20, 139 yards). He's supposed to be more athletic and mobile than Foles, but his longest carry this year is nine yards.

This game is hard to figure, and comparative scores are no help. The Wildcats have a big win over Iowa but lost to the Beavers at home, and Locker and the Huskies snuck by OSU in Seattle. Washington hasn't been a good road team, dumped earlier this year by 2-5 Brigham Young.

This is the conference of quarterbacks, though, and this is a senior starter versus an untested backup. Scott has started before but not successfully.

Washington 21, Arizona 17