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Week seven of the season features the premiere matchup of the year in the PAC 12 conference. The number 12 Oregon Ducks travel to UCLA to face the number 18 Bruins. This game entering the season was the battle that was believed to be the deciding factor in who wins the PAC 12 this year.

After the craziest weekend in the history of college football this matchup is a battle of top 20 teams instead of a top five battle. Both Oregon and UCLA were upset last week by unranked teams. Oregon lost to then unranked Arizona and UCLA lost to then unranked Utah in two classic battles.

Now these two have to pick up the pieces and keep their final four playoff hopes and PAC 12 title game dreams alive on Saturday. This game is a very interesting one for a number of reasons, but mainly for the two quarterbacks in this matchup.

UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, both, were top five draft prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft. They both decided to come back for their junior season to chase a PAC 12 and national title, but with a loss on Saturday one of these two quarterbacks’ dreams of doing those things will likely disappear.

They both were Heisman Trophy candidates coming into this game, but both are currently off the list of favorites if the season were to end today. It is still a ways to go in this season, but they are in a must win situation this weekend when they face off in the Rose Bowl.

As we begin to break down this game closer the one key factor for both of these teams are the offensive lines. These two teams have some of the worst offensive lines in all of college football. UCLA quarterback Hundley has been sacked more than any other quarterback in all of college football the past two seasons.

This is unheard of for a quarterback with his mobility, but something just isn’t clicking with the offensive line at UCLA and has caused an extreme amount of hits on Hundley. The problem was thought to be improved this year, but the problem appears to be worse than ever the past couple games.

The offensive line for Oregon is just as bad at times with their inability to protect Mariota. If it wasn’t for his speed and ability to elude defenders their sack totals would be even worse at Oregon. He is the best quarterback in the PAC 12, if not the entire country, but just doesn’t get a chance to show it because of his offensive line.

Both of these quarterbacks will have to avoid taking unnecessary hits this weekend and prevent making costly mistakes because of a lack of protection by the offensive line.

I feel the Oregon run game has to step up in this contest against UCLA. The Ducks haven’t seemed to be as effective in their up tempo offensive system since Chip Kelly left for the NFL. I believe Kelly’s departure was a bigger loss than most realized and now it is beginning to show.

If the Ducks aren’t able to get the UCLA defense on their heels in this game, then the Bruins front seven will stop Oregon and make it another rough day for Mariota.

The Bruins on the flipside have to take advantage of Hundley’s strengths and get him out of the pocket. UCLA seems to make him stay in the pocket and force passes down field in tough situations instead of letting him use his athleticism and pass outside the pocket. If the coaches allow Hundley the ability to run more in this game then UCLA will have success on offense.

So, what will decide this game when all is said and done? I believe the team with the least amount of mistakes in terms of turnovers will be the difference. We should expect a good old fashion PAC 12 shootout style of game and that favors Oregon.

The Ducks have an impressive resume coming off a loss in PAC 12 play and that will have to continue this weekend. The one key factor in this game is that I just trust Oregon’s quarterback Mariota more than I do UCLA’s Hundley.

I believe Mariota is the better all around quarterback and will find a way to win on the road this Saturday. These offensive lines are both a mess as we documented, but Mariota’s ability to make more plays with his legs I feel will be the deciding factor.

I have Oregon winning a shootout 45-41 in the Rose Bowl on Saturday. It will be a very entertaining game to watch as a fan with lots of points. The winner of this game will still be alive for the final four playoffs despite their losses last weekend. It will be an uphill battle for either one of these teams to reach the final four, but if they happen to win out and win the PAC 12 title game I am almost certain we will see them in the College Football Playoff.

The PAC 12 battle we have waited for all summer is finally here and it should be a great one. This game in reality is a must win for both teams, so in a way the playoffs for these two teams begin on Saturday. The Rose Bowl is always the greatest place to watch a college football game and it will once again be the place to be on Saturday in the PAC 12.

Week seven of the season features the premiere matchup of the year in the PAC 12 conference. The number 12 Oregon Ducks travel to UCLA to face the number 18 Bruins. This game entering the season was the battle that was believed to be the deciding factor in who wins the PAC 12 this year.

After the craziest weekend in the history of college football this matchup is a battle of top 20 teams instead of a top five battle. Both Oregon and UCLA were upset last week by unranked teams. Oregon lost to then unranked Arizona and UCLA lost to then unranked Utah in two classic battles.

Now these two have to pick up the pieces and keep their final four playoff hopes and PAC 12 title game dreams alive on Saturday. This game is a very interesting one for a number of reasons, but mainly for the two quarterbacks in this matchup.

UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, both, were top five draft prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft. They both decided to come back for their junior season to chase a PAC 12 and national title, but with a loss on Saturday one of these two quarterbacks’ dreams of doing those things will likely disappear.

They both were Heisman Trophy candidates coming into this game, but both are currently off the list of favorites if the season were to end today. It is still a ways to go in this season, but they are in a must win situation this weekend when they face off in the Rose Bowl.

As we begin to break down this game closer the one key factor for both of these teams are the offensive lines. These two teams have some of the worst offensive lines in all of college football. UCLA quarterback Hundley has been sacked more than any other quarterback in all of college football the past two seasons.

This is unheard of for a quarterback with his mobility, but something just isn’t clicking with the offensive line at UCLA and has caused an extreme amount of hits on Hundley. The problem was thought to be improved this year, but the problem appears to be worse than ever the past couple games.

The offensive line for Oregon is just as bad at times with their inability to protect Mariota. If it wasn’t for his speed and ability to elude defenders their sack totals would be even worse at Oregon. He is the best quarterback in the PAC 12, if not the entire country, but just doesn’t get a chance to show it because of his offensive line.

Both of these quarterbacks will have to avoid taking unnecessary hits this weekend and prevent making costly mistakes because of a lack of protection by the offensive line.

I feel the Oregon run game has to step up in this contest against UCLA. The Ducks haven’t seemed to be as effective in their up tempo offensive system since Chip Kelly left for the NFL. I believe Kelly’s departure was a bigger loss than most realized and now it is beginning to show.

If the Ducks aren’t able to get the UCLA defense on their heels in this game, then the Bruins front seven will stop Oregon and make it another rough day for Mariota.

The Bruins on the flipside have to take advantage of Hundley’s strengths and get him out of the pocket. UCLA seems to make him stay in the pocket and force passes down field in tough situations instead of letting him use his athleticism and pass outside the pocket. If the coaches allow Hundley the ability to run more in this game then UCLA will have success on offense.

So, what will decide this game when all is said and done? I believe the team with the least amount of mistakes in terms of turnovers will be the difference. We should expect a good old fashion PAC 12 shootout style of game and that favors Oregon.

The Ducks have an impressive resume coming off a loss in PAC 12 play and that will have to continue this weekend. The one key factor in this game is that I just trust Oregon’s quarterback Mariota more than I do UCLA’s Hundley.

I believe Mariota is the better all around quarterback and will find a way to win on the road this Saturday. These offensive lines are both a mess as we documented, but Mariota’s ability to make more plays with his legs I feel will be the deciding factor.

I have Oregon winning a shootout 45-41 in the Rose Bowl on Saturday. It will be a very entertaining game to watch as a fan with lots of points. The winner of this game will still be alive for the final four playoffs despite their losses last weekend. It will be an uphill battle for either one of these teams to reach the final four, but if they happen to win out and win the PAC 12 title game I am almost certain we will see them in the College Football Playoff.

The PAC 12 battle we have waited for all summer is finally here and it should be a great one. This game in reality is a must win for both teams, so in a way the playoffs for these two teams begin on Saturday. The Rose Bowl is always the greatest place to watch a college football game and it will once again be the place to be on Saturday in the PAC 12.

Two weeks into conference play, some surprises have emerged in both the north and south divisions. Let's take a look and decide who is legit, and who is going to fade down the stretch.

We know about the Oregon Ducks already, as well as the Stanford Cardinal, USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins, fresh off their shellacking of the rival Arizona State Sun Devils. And we have already seen some teams fold up revealing themselves as a year(or more) away. The aforementioned Sun Devils would be one team, with the perennially terrible Colorado Buffaloes and Washington State Cougars. The Oregon State Beavers, who just got bludgeoned by the Trojans, are another team we can be comfortable dismissing. 

That leaves four teams we are unsure of, the Arizona Wildcats, Utah Utes, Washington Huskies, and California Golden Bears. Let's break them down one at a time, rendering a verdict for each team, starting with the least promising and moving on to the most promising. 

We start with the Utes of Utah. Watching the game on Saturday was agonizing. This Utah team is tough, they have an underrated defense, and a strong running game. They have a good non-conference win over Michigan, but are coming off a dissapointing loss to Washington State. In the game against the Huskies they jumped out to a 21-0 lead, and seemingly had the game won until late in the fourth quarter. Looking more closely, you see that of those 21 points, the first touchdown came on an interception return, and the second came from a punt return. The final touchdown came from a long run by Devontae Booker. There was not the long, sustained drive you expect to see from a legit offense. The quarterback play was atrocious, with starter Travis Wilson averaging a pathetic 4.3 yards per pass attempt. Combine that with timid, unimaginative coaching, and I am afraid I do not see many PAC-12 wins coming this year. Verdict: Pretender. 

Next, lets look at the California Golden Bears. The Bears have been a bottom feeding laughingstock of a program for the last several years. No one expected anything from them this year, so when you see that they are 3-1 on the season, including a quality non-conference win at Northwestern, you are a little surprised. Even their one loss came on a last second hail-mary against Arizona, after leading for most of the Game. Cal has a dynamic offense, fifth in the nation in points scored, with quarterback Jared Goff playing out of his mind. It is clear this is a program headed in the right direction, although I think a difficult schedule down the stretch combined with a underperforming defense will make it tough for the Bears of Berkeley to compete for a top-three spot in the conference. Verdict: Pretender. 

Now we examing the Washington Huskies, who are also 3-1 after being handed their first loss by the Stanford Cardinal in a close game. Washington is a team that is tough to figure out. One week they are squeaking by a Hawaii squad 17-16, the next they are fighting for their lives against Eastern Washington, 59-52. It is clear that against top competition, Husky quarterback Cyler Miles just is not good enough to consistently move the ball. He was abysmal against the Cardinal, and while he has yet to throw an interception, its clear that his poor play will be holding this team back. Nevertheless, its possible the Husky defense and running game, combined with a lack of turnovers by Miles, will be enough to surprise a few teams, although not enough to seriously contend for a top bowl berth. Verdict: Pretender. 

Finally, lets look at the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona is another team that is tough to figure out. At times, this team plays like a juggernaut, and then there are stretches where they sleepwalk through entire quarters. Much of that has to do with the play of quarterback Anu Solomon, who has seemed to play only as good as the situation demands. When down big, or in a big moment, he come through again and again. However, when there is nothing on the line, he fades away, and you almost forget he is on the field. Still, they have a consistent rushing attack, and have the ability to score points seemingly at will. The defense has not been great, but it has stiffened when needed. Overall, this feels like a team that needs just one more big win before their confidence carries them into contention. And wouldn't you know it, the Oregon Ducks just happen to be up next on the schedule. Coach Rich Rodriguez has shown what his teams can do in big games, and Solomon seems like someone who relishes the prime time stage. Call me crazy, but I think this team is legit. The PAC-12 south is full of overrated and overhyped pretenders, so maybe, just maybe the Wildcats can seize the opportunity and claim their first south division title. Verdict: Contender. 

Two weeks into conference play, some surprises have emerged in both the north and south divisions. Let's take a look and decide who is legit, and who is going to fade down the stretch.

We know about the Oregon Ducks already, as well as the Stanford Cardinal, USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins, fresh off their shellacking of the rival Arizona State Sun Devils. And we have already seen some teams fold up revealing themselves as a year(or more) away. The aforementioned Sun Devils would be one team, with the perennially terrible Colorado Buffaloes and Washington State Cougars. The Oregon State Beavers, who just got bludgeoned by the Trojans, are another team we can be comfortable dismissing. 

That leaves four teams we are unsure of, the Arizona Wildcats, Utah Utes, Washington Huskies, and California Golden Bears. Let's break them down one at a time, rendering a verdict for each team, starting with the least promising and moving on to the most promising. 

We start with the Utes of Utah. Watching the game on Saturday was agonizing. This Utah team is tough, they have an underrated defense, and a strong running game. They have a good non-conference win over Michigan, but are coming off a dissapointing loss to Washington State. In the game against the Huskies they jumped out to a 21-0 lead, and seemingly had the game won until late in the fourth quarter. Looking more closely, you see that of those 21 points, the first touchdown came on an interception return, and the second came from a punt return. The final touchdown came from a long run by Devontae Booker. There was not the long, sustained drive you expect to see from a legit offense. The quarterback play was atrocious, with starter Travis Wilson averaging a pathetic 4.3 yards per pass attempt. Combine that with timid, unimaginative coaching, and I am afraid I do not see many PAC-12 wins coming this year. Verdict: Pretender. 

Next, lets look at the California Golden Bears. The Bears have been a bottom feeding laughingstock of a program for the last several years. No one expected anything from them this year, so when you see that they are 3-1 on the season, including a quality non-conference win at Northwestern, you are a little surprised. Even their one loss came on a last second hail-mary against Arizona, after leading for most of the Game. Cal has a dynamic offense, fifth in the nation in points scored, with quarterback Jared Goff playing out of his mind. It is clear this is a program headed in the right direction, although I think a difficult schedule down the stretch combined with a underperforming defense will make it tough for the Bears of Berkeley to compete for a top-three spot in the conference. Verdict: Pretender. 

Now we examing the Washington Huskies, who are also 3-1 after being handed their first loss by the Stanford Cardinal in a close game. Washington is a team that is tough to figure out. One week they are squeaking by a Hawaii squad 17-16, the next they are fighting for their lives against Eastern Washington, 59-52. It is clear that against top competition, Husky quarterback Cyler Miles just is not good enough to consistently move the ball. He was abysmal against the Cardinal, and while he has yet to throw an interception, its clear that his poor play will be holding this team back. Nevertheless, its possible the Husky defense and running game, combined with a lack of turnovers by Miles, will be enough to surprise a few teams, although not enough to seriously contend for a top bowl berth. Verdict: Pretender. 

Finally, lets look at the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona is another team that is tough to figure out. At times, this team plays like a juggernaut, and then there are stretches where they sleepwalk through entire quarters. Much of that has to do with the play of quarterback Anu Solomon, who has seemed to play only as good as the situation demands. When down big, or in a big moment, he come through again and again. However, when there is nothing on the line, he fades away, and you almost forget he is on the field. Still, they have a consistent rushing attack, and have the ability to score points seemingly at will. The defense has not been great, but it has stiffened when needed. Overall, this feels like a team that needs just one more big win before their confidence carries them into contention. And wouldn't you know it, the Oregon Ducks just happen to be up next on the schedule. Coach Rich Rodriguez has shown what his teams can do in big games, and Solomon seems like someone who relishes the prime time stage. Call me crazy, but I think this team is legit. The PAC-12 south is full of overrated and overhyped pretenders, so maybe, just maybe the Wildcats can seize the opportunity and claim their first south division title. Verdict: Contender. 

Two weeks into conference play, some surprises have emerged in both the north and south divisions. Let's take a look and decide who is legit, and who is going to fade down the stretch.

We know about the Oregon Ducks already, as well as the Stanford Cardinal, USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins, fresh off their shellacking of the rival Arizona State Sun Devils. And we have already seen some teams fold up revealing themselves as a year(or more) away. The aforementioned Sun Devils would be one team, with the perennially terrible Colorado Buffaloes and Washington State Cougars. The Oregon State Beavers, who just got bludgeoned by the Trojans, are another team we can be comfortable dismissing. 

That leaves four teams we are unsure of, the Arizona Wildcats, Utah Utes, Washington Huskies, and California Golden Bears. Let's break them down one at a time, rendering a verdict for each team, starting with the least promising and moving on to the most promising. 

We start with the Utes of Utah. Watching the game on Saturday was agonizing. This Utah team is tough, they have an underrated defense, and a strong running game. They have a good non-conference win over Michigan, but are coming off a dissapointing loss to Washington State. In the game against the Huskies they jumped out to a 21-0 lead, and seemingly had the game won until late in the fourth quarter. Looking more closely, you see that of those 21 points, the first touchdown came on an interception return, and the second came from a punt return. The final touchdown came from a long run by Devontae Booker. There was not the long, sustained drive you expect to see from a legit offense. The quarterback play was atrocious, with starter Travis Wilson averaging a pathetic 4.3 yards per pass attempt. Combine that with timid, unimaginative coaching, and I am afraid I do not see many PAC-12 wins coming this year. Verdict: Pretender. 

Next, lets look at the California Golden Bears. The Bears have been a bottom feeding laughingstock of a program for the last several years. No one expected anything from them this year, so when you see that they are 3-1 on the season, including a quality non-conference win at Northwestern, you are a little surprised. Even their one loss came on a last second hail-mary against Arizona, after leading for most of the Game. Cal has a dynamic offense, fifth in the nation in points scored, with quarterback Jared Goff playing out of his mind. It is clear this is a program headed in the right direction, although I think a difficult schedule down the stretch combined with a underperforming defense will make it tough for the Bears of Berkeley to compete for a top-three spot in the conference. Verdict: Pretender. 

Now we examing the Washington Huskies, who are also 3-1 after being handed their first loss by the Stanford Cardinal in a close game. Washington is a team that is tough to figure out. One week they are squeaking by a Hawaii squad 17-16, the next they are fighting for their lives against Eastern Washington, 59-52. It is clear that against top competition, Husky quarterback Cyler Miles just is not good enough to consistently move the ball. He was abysmal against the Cardinal, and while he has yet to throw an interception, its clear that his poor play will be holding this team back. Nevertheless, its possible the Husky defense and running game, combined with a lack of turnovers by Miles, will be enough to surprise a few teams, although not enough to seriously contend for a top bowl berth. Verdict: Pretender. 

Finally, lets look at the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona is another team that is tough to figure out. At times, this team plays like a juggernaut, and then there are stretches where they sleepwalk through entire quarters. Much of that has to do with the play of quarterback Anu Solomon, who has seemed to play only as good as the situation demands. When down big, or in a big moment, he come through again and again. However, when there is nothing on the line, he fades away, and you almost forget he is on the field. Still, they have a consistent rushing attack, and have the ability to score points seemingly at will. The defense has not been great, but it has stiffened when needed. Overall, this feels like a team that needs just one more big win before their confidence carries them into contention. And wouldn't you know it, the Oregon Ducks just happen to be up next on the schedule. Coach Rich Rodriguez has shown what his teams can do in big games, and Solomon seems like someone who relishes the prime time stage. Call me crazy, but I think this team is legit. The PAC-12 south is full of overrated and overhyped pretenders, so maybe, just maybe the Wildcats can seize the opportunity and claim their first south division title. Verdict: Contender. 

Two weeks into conference play, some surprises have emerged in both the north and south divisions. Let's take a look and decide who is legit, and who is going to fade down the stretch.

We know about the Oregon Ducks already, as well as the Stanford Cardinal, USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins, fresh off their shellacking of the rival Arizona State Sun Devils. And we have already seen some teams fold up revealing themselves as a year(or more) away. The aforementioned Sun Devils would be one team, with the perennially terrible Colorado Buffaloes and Washington State Cougars. The Oregon State Beavers, who just got bludgeoned by the Trojans, are another team we can be comfortable dismissing. 

That leaves four teams we are unsure of, the Arizona Wildcats, Utah Utes, Washington Huskies, and California Golden Bears. Let's break them down one at a time, rendering a verdict for each team, starting with the least promising and moving on to the most promising. 

We start with the Utes of Utah. Watching the game on Saturday was agonizing. This Utah team is tough, they have an underrated defense, and a strong running game. They have a good non-conference win over Michigan, but are coming off a dissapointing loss to Washington State. In the game against the Huskies they jumped out to a 21-0 lead, and seemingly had the game won until late in the fourth quarter. Looking more closely, you see that of those 21 points, the first touchdown came on an interception return, and the second came from a punt return. The final touchdown came from a long run by Devontae Booker. There was not the long, sustained drive you expect to see from a legit offense. The quarterback play was atrocious, with starter Travis Wilson averaging a pathetic 4.3 yards per pass attempt. Combine that with timid, unimaginative coaching, and I am afraid I do not see many PAC-12 wins coming this year. Verdict: Pretender. 

Next, lets look at the California Golden Bears. The Bears have been a bottom feeding laughingstock of a program for the last several years. No one expected anything from them this year, so when you see that they are 3-1 on the season, including a quality non-conference win at Northwestern, you are a little surprised. Even their one loss came on a last second hail-mary against Arizona, after leading for most of the Game. Cal has a dynamic offense, fifth in the nation in points scored, with quarterback Jared Goff playing out of his mind. It is clear this is a program headed in the right direction, although I think a difficult schedule down the stretch combined with a underperforming defense will make it tough for the Bears of Berkeley to compete for a top-three spot in the conference. Verdict: Pretender. 

Now we examing the Washington Huskies, who are also 3-1 after being handed their first loss by the Stanford Cardinal in a close game. Washington is a team that is tough to figure out. One week they are squeaking by a Hawaii squad 17-16, the next they are fighting for their lives against Eastern Washington, 59-52. It is clear that against top competition, Husky quarterback Cyler Miles just is not good enough to consistently move the ball. He was abysmal against the Cardinal, and while he has yet to throw an interception, its clear that his poor play will be holding this team back. Nevertheless, its possible the Husky defense and running game, combined with a lack of turnovers by Miles, will be enough to surprise a few teams, although not enough to seriously contend for a top bowl berth. Verdict: Pretender. 

Finally, lets look at the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona is another team that is tough to figure out. At times, this team plays like a juggernaut, and then there are stretches where they sleepwalk through entire quarters. Much of that has to do with the play of quarterback Anu Solomon, who has seemed to play only as good as the situation demands. When down big, or in a big moment, he come through again and again. However, when there is nothing on the line, he fades away, and you almost forget he is on the field. Still, they have a consistent rushing attack, and have the ability to score points seemingly at will. The defense has not been great, but it has stiffened when needed. Overall, this feels like a team that needs just one more big win before their confidence carries them into contention. And wouldn't you know it, the Oregon Ducks just happen to be up next on the schedule. Coach Rich Rodriguez has shown what his teams can do in big games, and Solomon seems like someone who relishes the prime time stage. Call me crazy, but I think this team is legit. The PAC-12 south is full of overrated and overhyped pretenders, so maybe, just maybe the Wildcats can seize the opportunity and claim their first south division title. Verdict: Contender.