Pac-10 Week 13 Preview

Week 13 is actually a fairly boring weekend in the conference. There are two rivalry games and one non-conference game, but there is nothing substantial on the line. If it weren’t for the fact that there are two rivalry games, there would be virtually no storylines.

Arizona @ ASU: This year’s territorial cup will feature two teams coming off disappointing losses. ASU is in the middle of a horrific losing streak in which nothing seems to go right. The Wildcats are coming off a devastating overtime loss to Oregon. While this game will be a home game for the Sun Devils, it is hard to imagine them pulling off the upset. U of A should have a fairly easy time with their rivals.

Washington State @ Washington: This year’s apple cup features two teams with virtually nothing to play for. Both teams will want to win for bragging rights, but this game is irrelevant on so many levels. The Huskies should come away with the win because they are at home, they have Jake Locker, and Washington State is horrible. Look for UW to have an easy time putting away their rivals.

Notre Dame @ Stanford: After last week’s loss to UConn it is hard to pick Notre Dame or to say anything positive about the direction in which that program is headed. Stanford has been on fire lately and despite last week’s loss to Cal they should be able to bounce back. Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck will take advantage of a Notre Dame defense that has struggled all year.

UCLA @ USC: UCLA is coming off a win at ASU, but that win can be attributed to the six turnovers that the Sun Devils committed. The Trojans have certainly had a disappointing season, but they will finish on a high note by defeating their rivals. The Bruins are on the rise, but they are still a quarterback away and no matter how great of a pregame speech Rick Neuheisel is able to give, the Bruins do not have the talent to keep up with the Trojans.