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Week thirteen Pac-10 picks
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Pac-10 picks of the week are back after a one-week hiatus. With Southern California enjoying another bye week, I did not feel inclined to pick the rest of the Pac-10 contests last weekend. Sorry. It's rivalry weekend (minus the Stanford-Cal game, which was last weekend) so the going will be tough with bragging rights on the line. The great thing about rivalry games is that all bets are off, you never know what you will get, which is totally awesome.
On to the games of the weekend:
Arizona @ Arizona State
Ah yes, the “Duel in the Desert,” one of my favorite games of the year. This game used to be so much better when it was played the Friday after Thanksgiving. Why they ever decided to change things is beyond me. It is hard for me to show allegiance because I spent time attending both Universities. While I graduated from Arizona State, I hold a special place in my heart for the Wildcats. Arizona has a great defense and Arizona State has had a mulligan of a season on offense. Sun Devils' head coach, Dennis Erickson, has decided to play quarterback shuffle for the remainder of the season, which usually does not work out too well in the end. I look for Arizona quarterback Nick Foles and tailback Nic Grigsby to come up big in Tempe. Wildcats take the Territorial Cup. PICK: U of A
The Apple Cup is on the line in Saturday's contest between the two Washington universities. This season has not been great for the Huskies (except for Sarkisian going all 'student-has-become-the-teacher' on Pete Carroll) and even worse for the Cougars (1-10 overall record, 0-8 in Pac-10 play). However, as I said before, rivalry games often bring the best out of players and this year's Apple Cup should be no exception. As our Cougs Examiner, Lew Wright, pointed out earlier this week, Saturday's game will be the last for fifteen Washington State players. I see them going out in style with one last hoorah. Cougs take the Apple Cup. PICK: Washington State
Notre Dame @ Stanford
I'm going to tune into this game simply to watch the swan song that is Charlie Weis' demise. The writing is already on the wall for Coach Weis. His west coast recruiting trip has been canceled and the Notre Dame athletic director wants him to go straight to jail without passing go. You know what I think? Couldn't have happened to a better guy. I hope that Notre Dame makes a better choice to lead the team after striking out with its last couple of coaches (no offense Tyrone Willingham). Gerhart gets his Heisman in this game. PICK: Stanford
UCLA @ USC
Now, on to the main event. This year's 'Battle of Los Angeles' lacks a little bit of the luster, but it is still a rivalry game and people will be pumped. How pumped you ask? Well, somebody already infiltrated the UCLA campus and went all abstract-art on the Bruin statue, so that should tell you something. After an uncharacteristically bad year for the Trojans, Pete Carroll needs this win, badly. Neuheisel would like to get his first victory over USC as coach of the Bruins, but Carroll really, really needs this win. It may not be a knock-down, drag-out contest between the two teams, but it will definitely be a hard-hitting, entertaining showdown. I think this game comes down to the play of the quarterbacks. Redshirt freshman, Kevin Prince, has been a total enigma this season. Just when you think the light has turned on with this guy, he pulls some bonehead maneuver. True freshman, Matt Barkley, was riding the wave early but has wiped out as of late. ¡Ay, caramba! With the extra week off to prepare, I think Coach Carroll will have whipped his boys into shape. PICK: USC
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