Pac-12 Football 2011: 4 Teams With Something to Prove in Week 2

The Pac-12 conference has had a very mediocre and disappointing start to the 2011 season.

Oregon, UCLA and Colorado all opened the season on the road in big non-conference games only to fall short of victory.

USC, Washington and Utah all won their opening game but against horrible opponents in games that were way closer then they should have been.

On Thursday and Friday of Week 2, a far superior Oklahoma State team rocked Arizona in Still Water, OK, but the Arizona State Sun Devils came away with a HUGE win (No. 21 Missouri) for their BCS hopes and for the conference as a whole.

While it would be good for each team to win it’s games, here are the four Pac-12 teams with the most to prove in Week 2 of the college football season.

Oregon

After starting the 2010 season 12-0 and making it to the national championship game, the Ducks are looking at their first back-to-back losses since November of 2007.

In all fairness to the Ducks, their two losses are by the hands of last seasons’ national champions (Auburn in the national championship game) and the opening game against a vastly underrated LSU team that very well may be playing for a national title this year.

At 12:30 p.m. (PST), the Ducks play host to the Nevada Wolfpack in the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium.

With so much yet to be proven about the offensive line, the stability of the running backs, the secondary and special teams, the Ducks need a dominating performance today.

Game: vs. Nevada

Needed Score: Win by at least 30

UCLA

Many, namely Kirk Herbstreit, picked UCLA to emerge as victors in the Pac-12 South in 2011. The Bruins kicked off the 2011 season against the underrated Houston Cougars, on the road.

The Bruins were defeated by the Cougars, 38 to 34, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.

With Arizona State getting a big victory over the Missouri Tigers last night, the Bruins need a big win today to prove they can hang in the hunt for the Pac-12 title.

Game: vs. San Jose State

Needed Score: Win by at least 30

Oregon State

After the worst loss in school history, the Beavers now have to go into Camp Randall to face the red hot Wisconsin Badgers.

The Beavers’ lone bright spot in their opening game loss was running back Malcolm Agnew, who rushed for over 223 yards and all three Beaver touchdowns.

To make matters worse for Oregon State, the team is still looking for their starting quarterback, head coach Mike Riley is furious with his team’s lack of effort, and their best player (Agnew) is nursing an injury and won’t play against the Badgers.

Game: at Wisconsin

Needed Score: Keep it respectable (within 14 points)

USC/UTAH

Both teams NEED a win. I’ve gone back and forth about which team needs a win more, but I ultimately come to the same conclusion: both teams NEED a win. 

USC comes into the game hoping to rebound from a sluggish and way too close victory over the pitiful Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Utah isn’t coming off much of a win either, with only a 17-point win over FCS Montana State. Both the Trojans and Utes showed flashes of brilliance on offense, with the defense showing some vulnerability.

USC’s head coach, Lane Kiffin, is on a very hot seat, and a loss at home to kick off conference play would put his job in even bigger jeopardy. Utah finally has their chance of proving their merit in a BCS conference, and first impressions really do matter.

I’ll say it one more time, just in case you missed it: Both teams NEED a win.

Game: Utah AT USC

Needed Score: WIN