By Jack Follman, SuperWest Sports
August 21, 2020
T he matchups of weeks zero and one played out pretty much as expected, with OSU and USC logging the only losses.
Pac-12 play begins in this Week Two/Week Three simulated stretch with a pair of Conference tilts, both featuring Stanford: First at Arizona, and then at home against the Trojans.
The biggest matchup sees Ohio State visiting Autzen in one of the most anticipated games of the season. Can the Ducks pull off another major upset on their home turf and catapult themselves into the National Championship conversation?
Don’t forget to check out the updated simulated Pac-12 standings at the bottom. And let me know what you think. Remember, these are just my opinions, and I would love to debate and talk about any or all of my picks on Twitter (follow @JackFollman to play along).
Week Two (September 12)
Arizona State at UNLV
Series History: Sun Devils trail 0-1 (2008)
Arizona State 45, UNLV 24
Cal Poly at Cal
Series History: First meeting.
Cal 45, Cal Poly 0
Fresno State at Colorado
Series History: Buffs lead 4-2.
Colorado 35, Fresno State 27
Ohio State at Oregon
Series History: Ducks trail 0-9.
Ohio State 38, Oregon 28
The Ducks welcome what should be the nation’s top-ranked team into Autzen. Oregon has a good enough defense to frustrate Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense a bit at home, but Ohio State’s O is like none other the Ducks saw last year, and they aren’t able to keep up with Fields and Company in the end.
Colorado State at Oregon State
Series History: Beavers trial 2-1.
Oregon State 49, Colorado State 20
Stanford at Arizona
Series History: Cardinal leads 17-14.
Stanford 27, Arizona 24
The Pac-12 season opens with a tight matchup between two teams who desperately need a win here if they want to get to a bowl game. Stanford has just a little bit more consistency in their run game and on defense to power out a close win and start 1-0 in conference play.
New Mexico at USC
Series History: First meeting.
USC 63, New Mexico 21
Montana State at Utah
Series History: First meting.
Utah 42, Montana State 7
Sacramento State at Washington
Series History: Huskies lead 1-0 (2015).
Washington 38, Sacramento State 6
Houston at Washington State
Series History: WSU leads 3-1.
Washington State 31, Houston 24
Week 3 (September 19)
Arizona at Texas Tech
Series History: Wildcats trail 26-5.
Texas Tech 38, Arizona 34
The Wildcats take on a Big 12 team that is comparable to them, and an offensive slugfest unfolds with the home team getting the advantage, thanks to a last-second game-winning touchdown.
BYU at Arizona State
Series History: Sun Devils lead 20-7.
Arizona State 34, BYU 24
Colorado at Texas A&M
Series History: Buffs lead 6-3.
Texas A&M 41, Colorado 23
Hawaii at Oregon
Series History: Ducks lead 4-3.
Oregon 49, Hawaii 3
Portland State at Oregon State
Series History: Beavers lead 2-0.
Oregon State 69, Portland State 7
USC at Stanford
Series History: Trojans lead 62-33-3.
USC 35, Stanford 21
Stanford puts up some fight against the Trojans to show that they can climb back up the Pac-12 ladder. But the Trojan air raid is just too strong and USC’s playmakers on defense hold down a Stanford offense that is still young and limited in a game they take over in the second half.
UCLA at San Diego State
Series History: Bruins leads 21-1-1.
UCLA 28, San Diego State 27
UCLA redeems the Pac-12 and shakes off their struggles over San Diego State with a tight road win with some clutch play by Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Bruin defense.
Utah at Wyoming
Series History: Utes lead 51-32-1.
Utah 38, Wyoming 10
Utah State at Washington
Series History: Huskies lead 3-0.
Washington 31, Utah State 13
Idaho at Washington State
Series History: Cougars lead 72-16-3.
Washington State 52, Idaho 10
Week 2/3 Simulated 2020 Pac-12 Standings
North Division | ||||
Team | Conf | Overall | Home | Away |
Stanford | 1-1 | 2-1 | 1-1 | 2-0 |
California | — | 3-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
WSU | — | 3-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
Washington | — | 3-0 | 3-0 | — |
Oregon | — | 2-1 | 2-1 | — |
OSU | — | 2-1 | 2-0 | 0-1 |
South Division | ||||
Team | Conf | Overall | Home | Away |
USC | 1-0 | 2-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
ASU | — | 3-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
UCLA | — | 3-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 |
Utah | — | 3-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
Arizona | 0-1 | 2-1 | 2-0 | 0-1 |
Colorado | — | 2-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
You’ll find Part One of Jack Follman’s Simulated Season here.
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