Unfortunately, the final month of the regular season in college football for the 2022 season is here as we have hit November and the PAC-12 is ramping up for a thrilling finish.
As of today, there are six teams that are bowl eligible, which happens to be the most out of any conference in the country. Not bad for what most people have called the worst Power 5 conference for football in recent years.
Through nine weeks, my own personal predictions for each PAC-12 game that has been played so far sits at 53-14.
#23 Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 in PAC-12) @ Washington (6-2, 3-2 in PAC-12)
The lone Friday night game features these two PAC-12 North teams that matchup fairly evenly. However, these two offenses couldn’t be more opposite of one another if they tried. Washington has the No. 1 passing attack in the PAC-12 with quarterback Michael Penix leading the way averaging 379.3 yards per game. Oregon State has the No. 3 pass defense allowing only 230 yards per game. On the other side, the Beavers have the No. 3 run game averaging 194.9 yards per game. To counter that, the Huskies have the No. 2 run defense only allowing 110.4 yards per game. I think the weather is going to come into play during this game with some heavy rain expected to hit Seattle. I believe Oregon State goes on the road and steals this game in what should be a thriller. I’m predicting Oregon State to beat Washington 27–23.
#8 Oregon (7-1, 5-0 in PAC-12) @ Colorado (1-7, 1-4 in PAC-12)
The two teams that are at the opposite ends of the conference standings matchup in Boulder this weekend. After their opening weekend bludgeoning against Georgia, Oregon has been on fire on both sides of the ball ever since then. Meanwhile, other than their upset against Cal three weeks ago, it has been more than a struggle week in and week out for the Buffs. Oregon has the No. 4 passing game (290 YPG) and the No. 1 rushing attack (235.8 YPG) and I fully expect the Ducks offense to cruise to a relatively easy win. I’m predicting Oregon to beat Colorado 48-10.
Washington State (4-4, 1-4 in PAC-12) @ Stanford (3-5, 1-5 in PAC-12)
Another PAC-12 North matchup features two teams that have had underwhelming seasons so far. Washington State has lost four out of the last five games and are struggling to consistently put points on the board despite having one of the better quarterbacks in the conference in Cameron Ward. The Cougars biggest problem is the run game which ranks last in the PAC-12 as they are averaging 83.5 yards per game. On the other side, Stanford has scored 14, 14, and 13 points over their past three games and even though their offense is little more balanced, they’re still clearly struggling to put up points similarly to Wazzu. To make things even more interesting, both teams are averaging an identical 23.6 points per game. I’m predicting Washington State to win 24-21.
Arizona (3-5, 1-4 in PAC-12) @ #14 Utah (6-2, 4-1 in PAC-12)
Two of the best quarterbacks in the PAC-12 face off in what may be a sneaky good matchup. Arizona has lost four out of their last five games, while Utah has won four out of their last five games. The Wildcats, led by Jayden de Laura, are the No. 2 passing team averaging 340.1 yards per game and averaging 32.5 points per game. However, the Utah passing defense is No. 1 in the conference allowing 209.9 yards per game and allowing 21.6 points per game which is No. 2 in the PAC-12. While each offense has proven they can move up and down the field, Arizona has the second worse defense when it comes to points allowed per game at 37.4. I see Utah’s defense being able to get a few stops and force a few field goals, while continuing to get whatever they want on offense led by quarterback Cam Rising. I’m predicting Utah to win 42-24.
Cal (3-5, 1-4 in PAC-12) @ #9 USC (7-1, 5-1 in PAC-12)
In this instance, we have yet another example of two teams with one having won four out of the last five games, and the other having lost four of the last five games. Cal is having another struggling season as they are trying to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2019. Meanwhile, USC has had a fantastic year one under head coach Lincoln Riley especially on offense. However, their defense has had some struggles of their own the sat two weeks giving up 42 and 37 points and currently allowing 401.8 yards per game. In this case, I think USC is able to take care of business at home rather easily. I’m predicting USC to beat Cal 45-20.
#12 UCLA (7-1, 4-1 in PAC-12) @ Arizona State (3-5, 2-3 in PAC-12)
UCLA has had one of the best offenses this year and has one of the bigger surprises in the PAC-12 led by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. After firing Herm Edwards earlier this year, Arizona State has had their ups and downs, but has been more competitive over the past few games than people thought they would be. The Sun Devils were already able to pull off one home upset earlier this year when they beat Washington in early October, but the Bruins are much different team. Running back Zach Charbonnet is leading the PAC-12 in rushing with 964 total yards this season and UCLA is No. 2 in rushing yards per game at 222.4 per game. While Arizona State will likely put up a gutsy effort, I believe UCLA will go into Tempe and come away with a win. I’m predicting UCLA to win 38-24.
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