Week 13 could prove to be pretty nerve-wracking for Pac-12 favorites No. 6Oregonand No. 7Utah. Both are firmly in theCollege FootballPlayoff hunt and hit the road to take on opponents in the state of Arizona needing to win out ahead of their likely collision course in the Pac-12 Championship Game to stay there. Utah has more to lose against Arizona — a loss, combined with aUSCwin overUCLA, would give the Trojans the South Division — while Oregon is the lesser favorite (-14.5) againstArizona State.
The Ducks just need to take of their business the next few weeks if they want to return to the College Football Playoff while the Sun Devils are looking for bowl eligibility in Herm Edwards’ second season. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup and make some picks both straight up and against the spread.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 23 | Time: 7: 30 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Devil Stadium — Tempe, Arizona
TV: ABC | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Storylines
Oregon: This offense has been all kinds of banged up this season, especially in the pass-catcher unit. But wideoutJuwan Johnson finally feels like a difference-maker in this offense. Johnson’s last three games have been excellent: 16 catches for 263 yards and four touchdowns. Since he’s been fully healthy, he’s been legit. Arizona State’s pass defense has had a rocky past few games, as well, so if Johnson gets going, Oregon might be able to run away with this.
Arizona State: There are a lot of good pieces on this Arizona State offense. Running backEno Benjaminand receiverBrandon Aiyukare two of the more underrated stars at their positions. The question is whether this group can keep up with the Ducks if this game gets into a shootout. Oregon has averaged just over 41 points per game in its last five games. The Sun Devils may need some help in the form of a couple of turnovers to get the stops they need and give their offense another shot. At 5-5, bowl eligibility is on the line and neither Saturday, nor next week’s game against Arizona, are easy.
Game prediction, picks
This one barely missedUpset Alerts. Oregon comes into this game playing its best football at the right time. However, with the division locked up and an opponent that’s lost four straight, will it let its guard down? This is a trap spot, for sure. With bowl eligibility on the line, I expect Herm Edwards’ team to surprise some. Whether it can pull the outright upset, we’ll have to wait and see, but in a grind-it-out rock fight, I like the Sun Devils to keep it within two touchdowns. Pick: Arizona State ( 14.5)
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