Pac-12 Football: Week 13 Preview and Predictions

No. 5 Washington Huskies (10-1, 7-1) vs. No. 22 Washington State Cougars (8-3, 7-1) 1:30 p.m., Nov. 25 FOX -- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Washington 60.7%

The Huskies and Cougars are both just a win away from their first ever Pac-12 Championship game. Only one of them though can take a trip down to Santa Clara to escape the rainy northwest.

The Washington State Cougars trump the Huskies offensively. Junior quarterback Luke Falk has the third-most passing yards in the nation with 3,935 yards and has thrown just seven interceptions in 532 pass attempts. Though the Cougars lost last week, it couldn’t have come at a better time. After eight straight wins, a loss has brought the Cougars back to earth and now Falk and the rest of them are even more eager to spoil to the Huskies’ season.

Washington State stuns Washington to claim the Apple Cup for the first time in four seasons.

Final Prediction: Washington State 32, Washington 31

Oregon Ducks (4-7, 2-6) vs. Oregon State Beavers (3-8, 2-6) 2:00 p.m., Nov. 26 PAC-12 --- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Oregon 58%

It’s an unexpected Civil War battle between the two bottom teams in the Pac-12 North. Though this game isn’t exactly meaningful, it’s still a rivalry game and Reser Stadium is sold out for one of the oldest rivalries in college football history.

One major accomplishment both teams can celebrate, however, is they each somehow defeated No. 22 Utah earlier this season.

The Ducks beat the Utes last weekend on freshman quarterback Justin Herbert’s 17-yard game-winning touchdown pass with two seconds remaining. Oregon has explosive potential and showed it against Utah as they had over 120 more total yards than the Utes, and its defense actually came to play. The Ducks allowed less than 30 points for the first time since Week 2 against Virginia.

History stands well with Oregon as its beaten Oregon State eight years in a row and should win again in the 120^th game between the two programs.

Final Prediction: Oregon 50, Oregon State 38

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-7) vs. No. 12 USC Trojans (8-3, 7-2) 1:30 p.m., Nov. 26 ABC -- ESPN Matchup Predictor: USC 85.5%

Nobody wants to play USC right now, especially not in the Los Angeles Coliseum where the Trojans have outscored opponents 197-88 this season. Eight wins in a row has ESPN adoring them and has brought them a Utah win and a win of their own away from possibly playing in the Pac-12 championship game.

Though the Fighting Irish have had one of their most disappointing seasons in recent history, they haven’t lost a game by more than a touchdown. Their 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback DeShone Kizer has a decent touchdown to interception ratio of 24-8 and can be a threat on the ground as well. But USC is just too hot and too focused to lose this game on senior night. Watch the Trojans operate another convincing home win.

Final Prediction: USC 38, Notre Dame 21

UCLA Bruins (4-7, 2-6) vs. California Golden Bears (4-6, 2-7) 5:00 p.m., Nov. 26 ESPN2 —- ESPN Matchup Predictor: UCLA 64.2%

Both of these teams had a shot at extending their seasons last week before each fell to their ranked rivals. Now, these players can only play for pride and others will compete for a better spot in the NFL Draft.

One player who will use this as an opportunity to please NFL scouts once more is California senior quarterback Davis Webb. Webb is been ranked No. 1 of 179 QB’s in his class by nfldraftscout.com and has even been considered to be better than Jared Goff.

The Golden Bears, who have lost four straight, will bounce back and beat the Bruins on senior night.

Final Prediction: California 37, UCLA 32

No. 22 Utah Utes (8-3, 5-3) vs. No. 9 Colorado Buffaloes (9-2, 7-2) 5:30 p.m., Nov. 26 FOX --- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Colorado 79%

The Buffaloes have a chance at going from the last season’s worst to this year’s best in the Pac-12 South with one more win at home.

Surprisingly, Colorado had its first win over a ranked team this season last week against then-No. 22 Washington State. The Buffaloes were better than the Cougars and even out-passed the one of the best passing offenses in the nation. With 605 total yards last week, Colorado’s offense has reached its peak and can only continue to dominate at home against the Utes.

Final Prediction: Colorado 27, Utah 23

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Rice Owls (3-8) vs. No. 24 Stanford Cardinal (8-3, 6-3) 6:00 p.m., Nov. 26 PAC-12 --- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Stanford 98.8%

While USC has an eight-game winning streak, the Cardinal’s four-game win streak has been overshadowed and so has running back Christian McCaffrey. The junior bursted for 284 rush yards and three TD’s last week against California. Despite battling an injury early in the season, McCaffrey has still managed 1,399 rush yards, good for seventh in the nation, and has beaten his touchdown total from a year ago by four, scoring 12. The Cardinal will only attract a better bowl game with a big win.

Final Prediction: Stanford 42, Rice 3

Arizona State Sun Devils (5-6, 2-6) vs. Arizona Wildcats (2-9, 0-8) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26 ESPN --- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Arizona State 59.5%

Finally, it’s here. The Territorial Cup, where one team looks to avoid its first winless campaign of conference play since 1957, while the other looks to become bowl-eligible for the sixth season in a row. It hasn’t been pretty for either team, but this is rivalry football, and anything is possible.

The Sun Devils have lost five straight, however they each have come to either ranked or previously-ranked opponents. The Wildcats, who have lost eight straight, are playing to the level of Texas Tech (4-7) or even UTSA (5-6), but even the Red Raiders and the Roadrunners caused trouble for Arizona State.

The team that will win this game will be the more the confident, hungry and fearless warriors during this in-state showdown.

Final Prediction: Arizona State 38, Arizona 34