Pac-10 picks by Vince Grippi
If you were smart enough to use this feature as a reverse barometer last season, it was a good move for your pocketbook, as we finished nine games under .500 against the spread.
Overall, we did OK. And we did great the first week, winning eight of nine games. That will be a lot tougher this opening weekend, with some coin-flip type games. But we’ll take our best shot.
As always, the listed line is for your entertainment purposes only. All games Saturday unless listed otherwise.
USC at Hawaii (USC by 21.5), tonight: These aren’t your older brother’s Trojans, that’s for sure. With Pete Carroll gone, new coach Lane Kiffin is facing the Rainbow Warriors a little hamstrung. Still … USC, 34-14.
Arizona at Toledo (UA by 15), Friday: The Wildcats haven’t won a non-conference game on the road in nine years. They picked a good place to break that streak. Arizona, 42-24.
New Mexico at Oregon (UO by 34): Not a bad way for sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas to make his starting debut. Oregon, 55-17.
UCLA at Kansas State (KSU by 1.5): Kevin Prince has missed a lot of practice time with a bad back. The Bruins’ offensive line may not be able to keep him off it. Kansas State, 24-14.
UC Davis at California (no line): The Bears have been big disappointments the past couple years. Not this week. Cal, 49-3.
Sacramento State at Stanford (no line): Andrew Luck makes his first Heisman Trophy statement. Stanford, 45-10.
Washington at Brigham Young (BYU by 3): Jake Locker makes his first Heisman Trophy statement. Washington, 35-28.
Portland State at Arizona State (no line): San Jose State bailed on the Sun Devils for a chance to play at Alabama – and a bunch of money. PSU was the fill-in loser. ASU, 27-3.
Oregon State at Texas Christian (TCU by 13.5): Of all the games, this is the toughest. OSU seems to start each season at a walk, while TCU has been running people over with defense for a couple years now. TCU, 21-17.
Washington State at Oklahoma State (OSU by 15): The math is simple. The Cowboys won in Seattle two years ago, 39-13. This is a better WSU team. OSU is not as good. Throw in three points for home field and … OSU, 28-24.
Last season: 54-21 overall, 30-39 vs. spread.