Pac-12 Football Picks: Can Oregon & Utah Win High-Profile Road Games vs. SEC Foes?

Cal opens its season at home Saturday afternoon vs. FCS opponent UC Davis.

The Pac-12 Conference’s t-minus 2 season — two years from the scheduled exit of USC and UCLA — gets under way Thursday night with the first of four weekend games featuring non-FBS opponents.

Cal and Stanford are involved in two of those, with the Bears taking on UC Davis and the Cardinal facing Colgate on Saturday. Vegas won’t even bother creating a betting line on these games.

There are three other games with Pac-12 teams favored by no fewer than 23 points. Those probably won’t real fun.

But there are two games on the Saturday schedule that could have lasting impact on the Pac-12’s hopes of ending its five-year drought in the College Football Playoff.

No. 11 Oregon is venturing to Atlanta to take on No. 3 Georgia, while No. 7 Utah treks to Gainesville to play Florida.

The Pac-12 twice traveling to SEC country on the opening weekend of the season. What could be better?

Of course, it doesn’t gain the conference a thing if the Ducks and Utes both fall on their faces. But a Utah victory and a solid showing by Oregon — even in defeat — would give the Pac-12 some much-needed credibility.

Asked in the video above how tuned in he will be to these games, Cal coach Justin Wilcox admits he will be far too busy focusing on the Bears to give anything else much of his attention.

Our Week 1 picks:

All picks against the spread

Consensus betting line from vegasinsider.com

Thursday

NORTHERN ARIZONA (No line) at ARIZONA STATE, Pac-12 Networks, 7 p.m.

Jake: Some sites list the Sun Devils as 25.5-point favorites and that’s about right. Northern Arizona beat Arizona last year, but ASU is better (slightly) than the Wildcats were last year. Pick: Arizona State

Jeff: I was amazed to learn that NAU actually has beaten the Sun Devils eight times. But not since 1938. And not this week. Pick: Arizona State

Friday

TCU (minus-13.5) at COLORADO, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Jake: First game as TCU’s head coach for former Cal head coach Sonny Dykes, and his teams always score a lot of points. They give up a lot too, so beating the spread could be dicey. Pick: TCU

Jeff: Sonny Dykes makes his debut with the Horned Frogs. We know his teams score points — far too many for the Buffaloes to keep up. Pick: TCU

Saturday

BOWLING GREEN (plus-24.5) at UCLA, Pac-12 Networks, 11:30 a.m.

Jake: Bruins QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson is primed for a big season, and he will start it with a big game against Bowling Green, a middling Mid-American Conference team. This is a big spread, but 38-10 sounds about right. Pick: UCLA

Jeff: I know two things about Bowling Green. The late Nate Thurmond played basketball there. And the last time Bowling Green played a Pac-12 team (Oregon in 2018), it surrendered 58 points. Pick: UCLA

OREGON (plus-17.5) vs. GEORGIA, ABC, 12:30 p.m.

Jake: Oregon’s strength is on defense, so the Ducks should prevent Georgia from running up the score. Oregon may not win, but should beat the spread. Pick: Oregon

Jeff: New Ducks coach Dan Lanning knows the Bulldogs well — he was their defensive coordinator the past three years. Does that mean No. 11 Oregon will be able to slow down No. 3 Georgia? In Atlanta? Maybe just enough to cover this significant spread. Pick: Oregon

ARIZONA (plus-6.5) at SAN DIEGO STATE, CBS, 12:30 p.m.

Jake: Can Washington State transfer QB Jayden de Laura lift the Wildcats to respectability? Maybe, but not this week on the road against a team that could challenge for the Mountain West title. Pick: San Diego State

Jeff: This would be a better basketball game. Pick: San Diego State

UC DAVIS (No line) at CAL, Pac-12 Networks, 1 p.m.

Jake: Some sites have Cal as a 21.5-point favorite, and that spread may be a little too big, considering Cal’s inexperience and Davis’ FCS national ranking. But without a spread . . . Pick: Cal

Jeff: Davis was competitive against Cal for a while when they played three years ago. If the Bears expect to be any good in 2022, this one can’t be close. Pick: Cal

RICE (plus-33.5) at USC, Pac-12 Networks, 3 p.m.

Jake: New QB Caleb Williams should have a field day against Rice, which is expected to finish at or near the bottom in Conference USA. But 33.5 points? I’m thinking 38-7. Pick: Rice

Jeff: I hope the Owls are getting a huge payday to be part of this slaughter. Pick: USC

UTAH (minus-3) at FLORIDA, ESPN, 4 p.m.

Jake: Florida is expected to be just an average team in the SEC while Utah is the Pac-12 favorite. But the game is in Gainesville, Fla. Hmmm. Pick: Utah

Jeff: How often is a Pac-12 team favored on the road against an SEC opponent? Pick: Utah

COLGATE ( No line) at STANFORD, Pac-12 Networks, 5 p.m.

Jake: Stanford is favored by 40.5 points at one betting site, and QB Tanner McKee ought to have a field day. With no spread, this pick is easy. Pick: Stanford

Jeff: Colgate has never played a current member of the Pac-12. We’re about to find out why. Pick: Stanford

IDAHO (No line) at WASHINGTON STATE, Pac-12 Networks, 6:30 p.m.

Jake: One betting site pegs the Cougars as 28.5-point favorites. Everyone is interested to see how new WSU QB Cameron Ward performs after his amazing season at Incarnate Word in 2021. Pick: Washington State

Jeff: Located eight miles apart across state lines, these rivals have played 64 times since 1917. WSU has won the past nine. No. 10 awaits. Pick: Washington State

BOISE STATE (plus-3) at OREGON STATE, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

Jake: Things have changed if Oregon State is a favorite in this matchup. Boise State is picked to win its division in the Mountain West. This looks like a pick ‘em game, so . . . Pick: Boise State

Jeff: Boise has scored 132 points against OSU in the three games played on the ghastly blue turf. But at home or neutral, the Beavers are 3-1 in this series. Pick: Oregon State

KENT STATE (plus-23) at WASHINGTON, FS1, 7:30 p.m.

Jake: After losing to Montana in their 2021 opener, the Huskies new coach (Kalen DeBoer) and new quarterback (Michael Penix Jr.) will be primed to win big against a Kent State team considered to be a Mid-American Conference contender. But will it be big enough to beat the spread. Pick: Washington

Jeff: New coach Kalen DeBoer, who was 9-3 at Fresno State last season when the Huskies nabbed him, will unveil a more potent offense, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., an Indiana transfer. Pick: Washington

Cover photo of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, formerly from Auburn, by Ben Lonergan, Eugene Register-Guard

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo