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(warning: much of this was written on my phone on the way to Yellowstone, so it is probably riddled with ATP points.)
We all know that ATQ readers are the most knowledgeable fans on the internet.
Now it’s time to prove it!
Each week we’ll put up a series of PAC-12 polls with the goal of predicting that week’s Paction. Last week, ATQ correctly predicted the winner 6 out of 10 times and against the spread we were 4 of 6. In short, nobody should be betting the family farm this weekend.
THIS WEEK’S RESIDENT GENIUS IS:
YetAnotherDuckFan
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“Ducks 52 - Nevada 20. Oregon comes out mad and determined to run the ball down Nevada’s throat. Herbert throws for 310 yards and 4 TDs. This is the game we see Shough throw his first pass and see him try to run the offense as Herbert is pulled in the middle of the third.
FatMac gets a Sack, Fumble, Recovery. KT is in on nearly every snap as a pass rusher, gets 3 sacks.”
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#20 WASHINGTON STATE vs HOUSTON
TIME/CHANNEL: Friday, 6:15 PM, ESPN
SEASON RECORD: WSU (2-0) / UH (1-1)
HISTORICAL RECORD: The Cougs and the Coogs have played three times previously. Washington State took the first one in 1959, then Houston struck back in 1966, both games were also played in Texas. The last time these teams met was in 1988 in what Hythloday tells me was an especially crazy bowl game that saw the Cougs victorious.
NOTES: Houston didn’t look very impressive against powerhouse Oklahoma or Prairie View. On the other hand, Washington State looked fantastic, but against low-tier competition. Time to find out if this Anthony Gordon fella has any Minshew in him. May the biggest cat win!
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Who wins?
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Who covers?
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75%
Washington State (-8.5)
(58 votes) -
24%
Houston (+8.5)
(19 votes)
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AIR FORCE @ COLORADO
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 10:00 AM, PAC12
SEASON RECORD: AF (1-0) / COL (2-0)
HISTORICAL RECORD: The Falcons and Buffs have played 16 times before. Air Force won four of these match-ups and Colorado won the rest and are currently riding a 5-game win streak.
NOTES: Mel Tucker has a shot at three straight rivalry wins this Saturday in Boulder. Colorado has a lot of problems on this team, but also a lot of talent. Laviska Shenault Jr. and Steven Montez will be the top two targets for the Air Force defense, so maybe K.D. Nixon will have another big game.
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Who wins?
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18%
Air Force (+4.5)
(18 votes) -
81%
Colorado (-4.5)
(77 votes)
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#24 USC @ BYU
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday 12:30 PM, ABC
SEASON RECORD: USC (2-0, 1-0) / BYU (1-1)
HISTORICAL RECORD: The Cougars caught the Trojans at the wrong time in their previous couple of matches. During the Pete Carroll era, USC beat BYU badly two seasons in a row.
NOTES: All of a sudden, USC looks like a PAC-12 championship contender behind freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis, meaning this would be the perfect time for BYU to send them back to their underachieving ways. The Cougars looked competitive against Utah for one half of a game, and beat the Tennessee Volunteers “football team” last week. Provo could be Hell for the Trojans.
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STANFORD @ #17 UCF
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 12:30 PM, ESPN
SEASON RECORD: STAN (1-1, 0-1) / UCF (2-0)
HISTORICAL RECORD: The Cardinal defeated the Knights in their only match-up.
NOTES: Things have completely changed for the Knights since their last meeting with the Cardinal. In 2015, these two played their only game thus far. UCF was far from the national championship winning team we know today, they were in the beginning of a winless season, meanwhile Stanford Could have been a playoff team if not for a couple of pesky losses to Northwestern and Oregon.
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Who wins?
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57%
Stanford (+7.5)
(59 votes) -
42%
UCF (-7.5)
(44 votes)
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ARIZONA STATE @ #18 MICHIGAN STATE
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 1:00 PM, FOX
SEASON RECORD: ASU (2-0) / MSU (2-0)
HISTORICAL RECORD: The Sun Devils and Spartans are currently in the middle of their second home-and-home series. The first took place in 1985 and resulted in a Spartan win at home but was followed by a trip to Tempe and a Sun Devil victory the following year. Last year Arizona State earned Herm his first signature win, but now Michigan State is ready to even up the score in East Lansing.
NOTES: This Spartan defense is hungry for some revenge after last year’s loss in Tempe, and that could be very, very bad for freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels who is sure to be running for his life behind a porous offensive line. Best shot for the Sun Devils is to fight for a low-scoring brawl of a game much like last year.
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Who wins?
This poll is closed
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9%
Arizona State
(10 votes) -
90%
Michigan State
(101 votes)
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Who covers?
This poll is closed
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62%
Arizona State (+14)
(61 votes) -
37%
Michigan State (-14)
(37 votes)
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NORTH TEXAS @ CALIFORNIA
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 1:15 PM, PAC12
SEASON RECORD: NTEX (1-1) / CAL (2-0, 1-1)
HISTORICAL RECORD: This is the first meeting between the Mean Green and the Golden Bears.
NOTES: Is there potential here for a Golden Bear letdown after an impressive win in Seattle? Probably not, because defense travels. How mean is this Mean Green offense without head coach Graham Harrell? We’ll find out real soon.
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This poll is closed
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35%
North Texas (+13.5)
(34 votes) -
64%
California (-13.5)
(61 votes)
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CAL POLY @ OREGON STATE
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 1:15 PM, PAC12
SEASON RECORD: CAL POLY (1-0) / OSU (0-2)
HISTORICAL RECORD: Hard to say, it’s been too long since the Beavers have actually played football.
NOTES: For those of you who weren’t tuned in to Facebook last Saturday night let me catch you up, the Beavers are sloppy as hell and a really bad football team. Cal Poly is their best shot at a win this year as a loss could very well doom the Beavs to a winless season.
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Who wins?
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IDAHO STATE @ #11 UTAH
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 1:15 PM, ESPN+
SEASON RECORD: ISU (1-0) / UU (2-0)
HISTORICAL RECORD: I’m sure somebody knows how many times they’ve played each other.
NOTES: Utah has looked impressive thus far, just not for four quarters in a row. It’s unlikely the Bengals have the firepower or stopping power to upset the Utes in Salt Lake City, but perhaps they can catch them sleeping and make some gamblers very happy/very sad.
Poll
Who wins?
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HAWAI’I @ #23 wASHINGTON
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 4:30 PM, PAC12
SEASON RECORD: UH (2-0) / Uw (1-1, 0-1)
HISTORICAL RECORD: The dirty dogs currently hold a 3-2 lead against the Rainbow Warriors and are riding a two-game streak going into this week.
NOTES: The PAC-12 slayers visit Seattle in hopes that they’ll add one more win P5 win to their season. The huskies may still be licking their wounds from their home loss to the Golden Bears, but their young defense is still perfectly suited to stop this up-and-down Rainbow Warrior attack. Does Cole McDonald have a shot? E-I-E-I-O.
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Who wins?
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This poll is closed
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81%
Hawai’i (+21.5)
(83 votes) -
18%
Washington (-21.5)
(19 votes)
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#5 OKLAHOMA @ UCLA
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 5:00 PM, FOX
SEASON RECORD: OU (2-0) / UCLA (0-2)
HISTORICAL RECORD: Out of the five times these two have met, Oklahoma has won four of them. UCLA’s lone win took place in 2005.
NOTES: Unless you are a Sooner fan, or just really hate the Bruins, please don’t watch this game. When Chip Kelly is giving his season ticket holders four free tickets apiece so the stands won’t be empty you know things have soured. It’ll be a miracle if the Bruins can keep the Sooners to under 40 points, let alone cover the spread. Is there any Kelly magic left?
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Who wins?
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This poll is closed
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74%
Oklahoma (-23.5)
(72 votes) -
25%
UCLA (+23.5)
(25 votes)
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TEXAS TECH @ ARIZONA
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 7:30 PM, ESPN
SEASON RECORD: TT (2-0) / UA (1-1)
HISTORICAL RECORD: Back in the day, these two teams were both in the Border Conference, meaning their history is surprisingly lengthy: Texas Tech has won 26 games, Arizona four, and they’ve also tied twice. The last time these two played was in 1989, yet another Red Raider victory.
NOTES: Texas Tech doesn’t look like a playoff contender, but their air raid offense is sure to put numbers up against Arizona as if they were. If the Wildcat - Rainbow Warrior game of week zero taught us anything it’s that Arizona’s secondary is vulnerable and that Khalil Tate is still prepared to put the team on his back.
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Who wins?
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Who covers?
This poll is closed
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70%
Texas Tech (-2.5)
(68 votes) -
29%
Arizona (+2.5)
(28 votes)
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MONTANA @ #15 OREGON
TIME/CHANNEL: Saturday, 7:45 PM, PAC12
SEASON RECORD: UM (2-0) / UO (1-1)
HISTORICAL RECORD: Oregon’s never lost a game, meaning they’ve never lost to Montana.
NOTES: After the Nevada game, anything below 77 points will feel a little disappointing. Is that an unrealistic expectation? Yeah it is. But on paper, it’s not outside of the realm of possibility. Can Cristobal’s crew break the Autzen scoring record? This Saturday is as good a time as ever.
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Who wins?
Comment below with your prediction for this week’s Duck game for your chance to win the coveted RESIDENT GENIUS award.
Include:
- Final score.
- Who you think will win.
- How many passing yards and total touchdowns Herbert finishes with.