Pac-12 Football: Top Social Buzz Ahead of Week 2 Action

The Pac-12 Conference had a less-than-stellar outing last week, at least in terms of typical Pac-12 success. 

That could change this week as the conference battles teams from the Mountain West and Big Ten.

Leading the hype train is No. 7 Oregon traveling to East Lansing to take on the No. 5-ranked Michigan State Spartans. This is a high-intensity matchup between two teams that are expected to make deep playoff runs. 

The game should be fun, indeed. But in order for the Spartans to stay alive in this game, they'll have to hold Oregon's offense to less—far less—than last week's team total of 485 rushing yards. Running back Royce Freeman's 180-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 1 certainly caught the attention of Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Matt Miller:

On the flip side, the Ducks did allow Eastern Washington to post 42 points. That may be why Oregon isn't favored in a game for the first time in years, as noted by MLive.com's Kyle Austin:

Keep in mind, however, that the Spartans were anything but flawless last week against the Western Michigan Broncos. Michigan State gave up 365 yards through the air but held strong in its run defense, holding the Broncos to 18 total rushing yards. It's key for MSU to continue that effort against the Ducks. 

The Spartans offense, meanwhile, cruised to 452 total yards in the 37-24 victory. The unit will prove to be a stout challenge for Oregon, which is widely perceived as a one-dimensional, offensive powerhouse. 

Here are five keys to victory for both squads, as laid out by MSU alumnus Richard Mullen:

While Oregon and Michigan State in Saturday's prime-time slot is an electrifying game, many of this weekend's other matchups for Pac-12 teams are less compelling. 

The University of Idaho travels to the West Coast to take on USC in a game that's predicted to be a complete blowout. A note on the game's 43-point—yes, 43-point—spread, per USC Trojans Daily:

"

USC favored vs. Idaho by largest spread since 2009 http://t.co/gXFBQRUrbt pic.twitter.com/LwtvXleA5S

— USC Trojans Daily (@USCTrojansDaily) September 11, 2015"

The UCLA Bruins will take on the UNLV Rebels of the Mountain West Conference Saturday, which shouldn't be too much trouble. The Bruins posted more than 500 total yards against Virginia last week, while the Rebels defense allowed even more than that against the Northern Illinois Huskies. This game shouldn't be close.

Among the more intriguing games between the Pac-12 and Mountain West teams is the San Diego State Aztecs taking on the Cal Golden Bears. 

Cal quarterback Jared Goff started the season hot last week against Grambling State, posting a 180.8 QB rating as he threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns in a 73-14 victory. Many experts are beginning to believe Goff is the next great NFL quarterback prospect, as captured by GoldenBlogs:

Goff's heralded decision-making, arm strength and footwork will go up against a Rocky Long-coached Aztecs defense which likes to employ various defensive fronts throughout the game. It relies heavily on confusion created by hybrid linebackers that can also act as pure defensive linemen. 

Whether or not that defense stands a chance against Goff remains to be seen, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Cal quarterback ends up with a second straight 300-yard passing performance. 

Five Pac-12 teams lost in Week 1, but considering an overall easier Week 2 schedule, it would be realistic to think only two or three will lose this weekend.