I am going with upsets this week because I feel them coming in my bones! Tonight Oregon State makes a bid to enter the top 25 by taking care of business with Utah. I like Cal over ASU even though it is basically a pick-em. Have to go along with USC going 0-2 with the Oregon schools. I hate Notre Dame and I want them to lose. Is that enough of a reason to pick mighty Stanford?
Finally I am picking the granddaddy of them all when I go way out on a limb and predict UW to beat Arizona on the road. This is the kind of game that Mike Stoops ends up losing and Ty is 2-1 against him.
Nathan Ware's Picks
Thursday
Utah 34, Oregon State 23, 6:00pm, Versus
Saturday
Cal 36, Arizona State 33, 12:30pm, ABC
USC 42, Oregon 27, 5:00pm, ABC
UCLA 33, Wazzu 13, 7:15pm, FSN
Notre Dame 31, Stanford 24, 11:30am, NBC
Arizona 56, Washington 20, 4:30pm, Versus
Johnnny B's Picks
Thursday
Oregon State 31 Utah 24, 6:00pm, Versus
Saturday
Cal 42, Arizona State 27, 12:30pm, ABC
Oregon 37 USC 35 , 5:00pm, ABC
UCLA 42 Wazzu 3, 7:15pm, FSN
Stanford 35 Notre Dame 21, 11:30am, NBC
Washington 31 Arizona 28 , 4:30pm, Versus
What is the Versus Network?
Versus is a new name for the old Outdoor Life Channel. When the channel picked up the NHL when nobody else wanted them it meant it was time to pick a new name. Since then they have added to their sports menu and of course are famous for covering the Tour d' France live.
Anyway it is available on almost every cable and satelite system so no matter where you live you should be able to pick up the game.
Braunstein Update
Derek Johnson has an awesome interview with Michael Braunstein in Dawgman today. Just guessing that Derek is going to be interviewing some recent ex Huskies over the next couple of weeks to get their feelings on Coach Willingham.
You either hate Braunstein or love Braunstein, but he is really tough to take seriously since he is so in love with himself. Jim Moore counts him as one of the most interesting interviews he has ever had from a bizarre standpoint. Braunstein used to regularly contact writers both locally and nationally to update them on himself.
And I see that their kicking game has struggled ever since. I see them when they're within range of a 47-yard field goal, they don't usually kick. That's because Willingham has Perkins with no leg, and Ballman can't hit from 40. In fact, you want to know why they had that kicked blocked against BYU? From the time of the snap to when its spotted and kicked should be no more than 1.3 seconds. If it takes longer than 1.3, it's going to get blocked. That play was also slow and had no height on the ball.
Ted Miller is on the Arizona victory bandwagon. Didn't he read my article on this being the type of game that Mike Stoops often loses?
Arizona 48, Washington 23: The long slog for Washington coach Tyrone Willingham continues without quarterback Jake Locker. The only hope for the Huskies is if a Wildcats program that has been prone to distraction gets distracted by overconfidence, and the Huskies' new quarterback, Ronnie Fouch, has a magical first start. But little seems magical around the Huskies these days.