There are numerous exciting college football matchups on the slate Saturday.
The headliner, Oregon versus Washington, gets things started in the afternoon, but there’s also plenty of intrigue at night, including USC versus Notre Dame and UCLA versus Oregon State.
Oregon at Washington
Oregon (+3.5)
The Ducks are 5-0 ATS and I’m expecting them to remain perfect after this showdown in Seattle.
In fact, I’d sprinkle a bit on the moneyline, too.
Both offenses are explosive. Oregon ranks No. 2 in the country in points per game (51.6), Washington is second (46).
Washington is No. 1 in the country in yards per game (569.4), Oregon is second (557.8).
Oregon, however, has held its opponents to 10 points or fewer in four of its five games this season.
The Ducks are also allowing just 255.6 yards (sixth-best in the country) and 11.8 points (fifth-best in the country) per game.
Michael Penix Jr. already has thrown for 1,999 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Huskies.
He’s completing 74.7 percent of his passes and shredding opponents through the air.
On the other side, Bo Nix has thrown for 1,459 yards and 15 touchdowns and although he may not hit as many explosives as Penix, he leads a more balanced Ducks attack.
Nix has thrown just one interception and is completing a ridiculous 80.4 percent of his passes.
The Ducks are averaging 330.6 passing yards per game, but also lead the Pac-12 with 227.2 rushing yards per game.
That leads us to a Washington defense that ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game allowed (121.6).
If you’re into advanced metrics, Washington’s defense ranks 115th in rushing success rate allowed, while Oregon’s offense ranks second in rushing success rate.
Not only will the rushing attack help the Ducks march down the field, but it’ll also limit Washington’s possessions.
The Ducks should need only a couple stops to cover (or win) and this defense is more than capable.
USC at Notre Dame
Notre Dame (-2.5)
Caleb Williams is amazing. He’s the reigning Heisman Trophy winner for a reason and if USC wins the Pac-12 and reaches the College Football Playoff, it’ll be on Williams’ back.
Superman can only do so much, however, and USC’s defense may be the kryptonite.
USC has given up 82 points over the past two weeks and neither Colorado nor Arizona is as good as Notre Dame.
The Trojans’ defense has flirted with disaster all season and this is the week it’ll catch up to them.
Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman struggled and was intercepted three times last week, but that actually has me liking the Fighting Irish even more this week.
Notre Dame, which has played a gauntlet over the past three weeks, will be refocused after a poor performance in a road loss at Louisville.
The Trojans will score some points, but I have no confidence USC will be able to slow down Notre Dame.
USC’s offense has gone into extended lulls in each of the past two weeks, but has been able to overcome it against inferior competition.
That won’t be the case this week.
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UCLA at Oregon State
Oregon State (-3.5)
Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore., is an underrated venue and incredibly tough for opponents, especially freshman quarterbacks making just their third career road start.
UCLA’s Dante Moore is incredibly talented, but he’s prone to mistakes — just look at the pick-six he threw right before halftime last week — and those are often magnified on the road.
On the other side, Oregon State is a physical team that’s coming off a disappointing defensive performance against Cal.
Not only am I expecting Oregon State’s defense to play with more urgency and vengeance this week, but also veteran quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is coming off his best performance of the season and should keep the momentum rolling at home.