Last weekend I got into a spat with a nasty troll over whether college football, and in particular the follow play, is merely a farm system for the NFL.
The chances Ricardo Lewis ever make the National Football League are about the same as Kate Upton responding to my billets-doux. The college game is rapidly evolving into its own separate entity. It's no longer subaltern to the professional one.
College offenses and defenses are mutating in ways that make up for the inequality of facilities and talent. Perpetual doormat Baylor can evolve and compete for national championships. Mid-major schools like Northern Illinois utilize quirky talent like Jordan Lynch, who as a frisky running quarterback can win games only to be crushed in the bowl game by a major brand like Florida State. It’s Wal-Mart versus a mom & pop business. The college game is a true, unregulated free market.
No conference personifies free enterprise more than the Pac-12. Only a week removed from crushing a quirky Oregon team, the mighty Stanford Cardinal lost to a USC team on the redemption trail.
Lets get to work!
Utah @ Washington State -1.5
Wazzu gets the home love his week.
Oregon -20.5 @ Arizona
Oregon should blast through the Wildcats.
California @ Stanford -31.5
Stanford must be grateful it can recover from last week's heartbreak against a lost Cal team.
Arizona State -2.5 @ UCLA
The de-facto Pac-12 South Division championship game. The Sundevils recovered from their loss to Notre Dame by blowing the doors off their competition.
USC -22.5 @ Colorado
The Trojans have finally found their mojo.
Washington @ Oregon State -3.5
This game will mean the end of UW's Steve Sarkisian time in Seattle. Sark hasn't finished a season better than with seven wins. He won't make it to eight.
Bonus Game:
Since this here Blog is about enriching its readers, for history's sake, let's pick the oldest rivalry in college football.
Lafayette @ Lehigh
The 149th meeting goes to Lafayfette because they gave up home field for the 150th game in the rivalry. True sportsmen, those 'Pards.
