Vince Grippi’s Pac-10 picks

It wasn’t that hard to figure out who would win games last week. It was the by-how-much part that was difficult. This week is a little different, with three games up for grabs. And yes, for once I’m putting the Cougar game in that category. Which is probably the kiss of death. As always, the listed line is for your entertainment purposes only. All games Saturday. Washington at Oregon (Oregon by 35): This game opened a touchdown closer. Then Jake Locker was ruled out. Has he been playing safety? Oregon, 49-10. Oregon State at UCLA (Oregon State by 5): What’s the worst thing that could happen to WSU, the Beavers losing, right? After all, the Cougars travel to Corvallis next week. Well, the Beavers aren’t losing. OSU, 27-14. Arizona State at USC (USC by 5.5): Call this a hunch. Or call it a stupid pick. I don’t care. ASU, 24-21. Arizona at Stanford (Stanford by 9.5): Though Arizona looked better the time I saw these teams play, the Cardinal should win at home. But it will be close, real close. Stanford, 35-31. California at Washington State (Cal by 14.5): If the Cougars were healthy, I wouldn’t have any trouble picking them to win despite their record and last week’s miserable showing. But some key players aren’t healthy. And that makes the Bears the choice. Cal, 28-24. Last week: 5-0 overall, 3-2 vs. spread; Season: 44-11 overall, 27-19 vs. spread.