Pac-10 Week 7 Preview

Week 7 features a non-conference showdown between two top 25 teams, teams looking to bounce back after tough losses, and teams just looking to get back on track. There are only 4 games in the conference this weekend, but there are plenty of storylines.

6 USC @ 25 Notre Dame: This is the most intriguing game of the weekend within the Pac-10 conference. Notre Dame and Jimmy Clausen have been playing well, but I do not feel that they have been playing well enough. I would normally pick Notre Dame because USC is starting a freshman quarterback on the road in front of a lot of people, but Matt Barkley has shown incredible poise for a freshman. Because of his performance against the Buckeyes, I’m picking Barkley and the Trojans to beat Notre Dame.

Cal @ UCLA: Cal had a bye week last week to fix and focus on whatever plagued them against USC and Oregon. The Bruins played the Ducks this past weekend and had a lot of trouble at the quarterback position. This UCLA team is very talented, but they are a quarterback away from being a legitimate threat within the conference. Cal has all the tools necessary to win; they have just lacked the focus and execution. I expect that Jeff Tedford got on his team during the off week and will have them ready to play on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. I’m picking the Bears to get the win Saturday and to begin turning their season around.

Stanford @ Arizona: Both teams will be coming off of road losses. Stanford got beaten down by Jacquizz Rodgers while Arizona suffered a heartbreaking loss to the University of Washington. The Wildcats played well and dominated the Huskies in nearly every phase of the game. If you look at the stats, it would appear as if Arizona won easily. They showed that they have the talent to play well; factor that in with their eagerness to get back in the win column and the Wildcats should come away with a home victory.

Washington @ ASU: Jake Locker and the Huskies will get a win on the road this week. ASU has a great defense, but an offense that is less productive than a blind crossing-guard. The Sun Devils turned the ball over an astonishing 6 times last weekend against the Cougars. If Washington State had any talent whatsoever, the Sun Devils would have lost. ASU needs to fix their offense before they start to win. The Huskies are coming off a thrilling victory over Arizona and will ride that momentum to victory again in Tempe, Arizona.