A look at what’s on the schedule today in the Pac-12 (all times PT):
Colorado (1-5, 1-8 Pac-12) at Arizona (5-4, 2-4), 10:30 a.m., FX: The Wildcats look to become bowl-eligible after missing out on the postseason last year. They’ll have to do it without quarterback Matt Scott, who suffered a concussion last week in the loss to UCLA. Backup B.J. Denker steps in to run one of the most productive offenses in the country. The Buffaloes rank last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and rushing defense.
Arizona State (5-4, 3-3) at USC (6-3, 4-3), noon, Pac-12 Network: Both teams are looking to break out of slumps. The Trojans have dropped two in a row and are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2001. ASU has dropped three straight after opening the season 5-1. USC’s defense has been widely criticized for allowing so many points against spread teams. Here comes another one. The Sun Devils average 37 points per game.
Oregon State (7-1, 5-1) at Stanford (7-2, 5-1), noon, Fox: The game of the week features two of the league’s top defenses. Ironically enough, both teams have had some mid- to-late season turnover at quarterback. Cody Vaz gets his fourth start for the Beavers; he's 3-0 in his previous starts. Kevin Hogan makes his first start for the Cardinal. This game is packed with elite defensive players, including Stanford safety Ed Reynolds and Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer, who share the conference lead with five interceptions each.
Utah (4-5, 2-4) at Washington (5-4, 3-3), 7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network: The Huskies are looking to gain bowl eligibility in their final game of the season at home -- where they have been considerably stronger. Utah is trying to make another late-season push to gain entry into the postseason, but the Utes are yet to win on the road. Keep an eye on Utah kick returner Reggie Dunn, who has an NCAA record three 100-yard kickoff returns in the past two weeks.
Oregon (9-0, 6-0) at California (3-7, 2-5), 7:30 p.m., ESPN: Coming off their 62-point scoring bonanza at USC last week, where Kenjon Barner rushed for 321 yards and five touchdowns, the Ducks are back on the road against an unstable Cal squad. The Bears are expected to be without quarterback Zach Maynard, who suffered a knee injury last week in the home loss to Washington. Allan Bridgford steps in. The Ducks are at the center of the national championship conversation and Barner’s Heisman buzz is on the rise.
UCLA (7-2, 4-2) at Washington State (2-7, 0-6), 7:30 p.m. ESPN2: While the Cougars are still looking for their first conference win, the Bruins are in the driver’s seat for the Pac-12 South. They can’t be caught looking ahead to next week’s showdown with USC. It’s going to be cold, so we’ll have to see what kind of impact -- if any -- that has on the SoCal team. Hurting the Cougars' chances even more is the absence of wide receiver Marquess Wilson, who has been suspended at least one game for violating team rules.