Throughout the 2025 college football season, I give you my just-for-fun picks for contests involving the best teams in the West across five conferences.
Those teams include Arizona, ASU, BYU, Colorado, and Utah in the Big 12; Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington in the Big Ten; Cal and Stanford in the ACC; Oregon State and WSU in the Pac-12; and all of the Mountain West.
I went 5-5 in the 10 games I previewed for Week 9. That brings my overall record to 64-29 on the season, good for 69%.
This week, I make picks for the following 10 games:
- Arizona State at Iowa State
- New Mexico at UNLV
- Pittsburgh at Stanford
- Fresno State at Boise State
- Virginia at Cal
- Arizona at Colorado
- Wyoming at San Diego State
- USC at Nebraska
- Washington State at Oregon State
- Cincinnati at Utah
You will also want to read my previews of ACC and Pac-12 games, Stephen Vilardo’s preview of the Mountain West and Big Ten matchups, and Dane Miller’s previews of the Big 12 contests.
As always, my selections come with my best game-score guesses and just enough commentary to keep me from drinking too much coffee here in the South Shore District of Seattle.
I’m already on my second cup, so let’s get on with the picks!
Arizona State at Iowa State
Saturday, November 1
10:00 a.m. PT, TNT
Arizona State enters this matchup with two losses in the Big 12, and the Sun Devils are playing without their starting quarterback Sam Leavitt. Jordyn Tyson is also doubtful at wideout.
The key to this matchup is simple: Can Jeff Sims finally get a win again as a starting quarterback? Sims has had a problematic career when it comes to winning games. It might be Mission Impossible with the injury to Tyson.
The Sun Devils looked bad on offense without him against Houston.
The Cyclones would probably be the first to say they’ve underperformed this year. They have a balanced offense, but they’ll likely take their shots against ASU’s pedestrian secondary, which ranks 60th in passing yards allowed per game.
Iowa State QB Rocco Becht needs to make a couple of early throws to get the juice flowing in Ames. If he can do that, it will open up space for the halfback duo of Abu Sama and Carson Hansen.
The duo has combined for 1,044 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Brett Eskildsen is another solid player at wideout. No
Tyson, no chicken, no win.
Iowa State gets revenge.
Iowa State 42, Arizona State 21
New Mexico at UNLV
Saturday, November 1
12:00 PM PT, MW Network
Jason Eck is doing his thing at New Mexico, posting a 5-3 record thus far. UNLV enters this contest with a 6-1 mark, its only loss coming against Boise State last week.
The key to this matchup should be whether the Lobos can score enough points to keep pace with the Rebels. UNLV ranks 17th nationally, averaging 37.1 points per game, while the Lobos only score 29 per contest.
Vegas has a formidable rushing attack led by the duo of Anthony Colandrea and Jai’Den Thomas. Colandrea’s dual-threat ability is a big part of their strategy. He’s rushed for 410 yards and four touchdowns this year.
If UNM’s going to pull off the upset, they’ll likely need a big game from quarterback Jack Layne. New Mexico’s pass offense ranks 83rd in yards per game, but Layne can move the ball even though he’s prone to interceptions.
The Rebels rank 114th in passing yards allowed per contest, so he’ll have his chances. He’s thrown for 1,598 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions this season. Damon Bankston’s also a nice player at halfback.
Eck’s an elite coach, but he doesn’t have enough to beat LV yet.
Yahtzee.
UNLV 38, New Mexico 17
Pittsburgh at Stanford
Saturday, November 1
12:30 PM PT, ACC Network
If the Tree plays this type of defense against Pittsburgh, they could pull off the upset at home. The Panthers have the eighth-ranked scoring offense nationally, but they have a signal-caller with limited playing experience.
Mason Heintschel has only started four games at the collegiate level; he took over for Eli Holstein after Pitt had back-to-back losses earlier this year.
Stanford will also need Ben Gulbranson to take advantage of Pitt’s 74th-ranked pass defense in yards allowed per game. They rank 13th in rushing yards allowed per game, so moving the ball that way is hard.
The Cardinal don’t have a consistent option at halfback either. Micah Ford leads the team with 425 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns. Cole Tabb has rushed for 244 yards in their last three outings.
Stanford’s getting better, but they don’t have the talent to beat a balanced Pittsburgh squad.
Pitt Pitt hooray.
Pittsburgh 35, Stanford 20
Fresno State at Boise State
Saturday, November 1
12:30 PM PT, FS1
The key to this matchup is finding any offensive production. The Bulldogs were held scoreless against the Aztecs.
Carson Conklin started his first game for the Bulldogs in relief of E.J. Warner. Conklin struggled mightily, throwing for 182 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.
He’ll need to perform better against Boise State, which ranks 28th in pass yards allowed per game.
FSU will also need to find production on the ground to help their new quarterback. The combination of Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson has combined for 835 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
If they’re gonna beat the Broncos, the Bulldogs will likely need a big game from at least one of these guys. For Boise, they’ll look to exploit Fresno State’s rushing defense. Fresno is stout against the pass, but ranks 51st in rushing yards allowed per game.
Former Fresno State halfback Malik Sherrod will look to make an impact for Boise State. BSU’s best receiver, Chris Marshall, is out due to a suspension.
If Fresno had momentum, this might be a contest, but they’ll disappear in the blue.
The Broncos smash the Bulldogs into potatoes.
Boise State 42, Fresno State 14
No. 15 Virginia at Cal
Saturday, November 1
12:45 PM PT, ESPN2
California hosts Virginia this week in a game they should be able to win. The Cavaliers barely survived their last two outings against North Carolina and Washington State, both overtime victories.
The Bears have the talent to beat the Cavs at home. They match up well against UV’s passing attack. Cal ranks 33rd in passing yards allowed per game.
Hezekiah Masses is a playmaker in the secondary. He has four interceptions and nine pass deflections this season.
But it won’t be easy because Chandler Morris is an excellent quarterback. Morris has thrown for 1,807 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions this year. He also has four rushing touchdowns.
Virginia also struggles to defend the pass, ranking 88th in yards allowed per game. The combination of Trond Grizzell, Mason Mini, and Jacob De Jesus could be able to exploit their secondary.
I want to pick Cal but I don’t trust them at this point.
UV turns California into a commonwealth.
Virginia 38, Cal 28
Arizona at Colorado
Saturday, November 1
4:00 p.m. PT, FS1
They’ll have a chance to bounce back this week against a struggling Arizona team at home. The Wildcats would like to kick Ralphie while he’s down.
The Buffaloes aren’t sure who they’re starting quarterback is going to be in this contest. Kaidon Salter was abysmal against the Utes, and Ryan Staub played well in relief.
This should prove concerning against a UA secondary that ranks 40th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game. Arizona has five players who have at least one interception on the year; Treydan Stukes and Jay’Vion Cole each have two.
CU also may struggle to stop Ismail Mahdi. Colorado ranks 130th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game. The Utes rushed for 422 yards against them last week. Mahdi leads the team with 445 yards rushing.
Noah Fifita and Kedrick Reescano have combined for six rushing touchdowns. The Buffs’ secondary is a tad better, ranking 43rd in pass yards allowed per game.
It’s hard to pick against Colorado at Folsom, but Wilbur likes Bison meat.
The Wildcats take some burgers to go.
Arizona 38, Colorado 27
Wyoming at San Diego State
Saturday, November 1
4:00 PM PT, CBS Sports Network
The Aztecs have held four of their last five opponents under 10 points, including two shutouts against Cal and Fresno State. They should be able to do something similar against a Wyoming offense that lacks an identity.
Kaden Anderson’s a solid quarterback, but they don’t have a lot around him. He has thrown for 1.634 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Cowboys rank 113th nationally in points scored per game.
Wyoming also relies on a trio of halfbacks to move the ball. Terron Kellman, Samuel Harris, and Sam Scott each have over 300 yards rushing this year. As a team, the Pokes rank 99th in rushing yards per game.
Their passing attack is a bit better, ranking 87th nationally.
San Diego State’s offense has started to improve since Jayden Denegal became its starting quarterback. Lucky Sutton’s also an excellent halfback. Jordan Napier leads all Aztec receivers with 567 receiving yards.
San Diego State hype might be premature, but Cowboys don’t like sand in their boots.
Snapdragon snaps back.
San Diego State 17, Wyoming 14
No. 23 USC at Nebraska
Saturday November 1
4:30 PM PT, NBC
Nebraska enters having barely escaped Northwestern last Saturday.
The key in this contest should be SC’s rushing attack. They average 204 yards per game, ranking 23rd nationally. And this could prove troublesome for the Cornhuskers, as they rank 89th in rushing yards allowed per contest.
Waymond Jordan and King Miller have combined for 956 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Another interesting thing to watch in this matchup is Jayden Maiava against the Huskers’ passing defense. USC ranks first in passing yards per game nationally, while NU ranks second in passing yards allowed.
Flipping the husk, the Huskers also have a good passing attack, ranking 25th. But they lack the explosiveness of SC. Either way they may be able to capitalize against the Trojans weak secondary, which ranks 80th in passing yards allowed.
Dylan Raiola has thrown for 1,909 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions this season.
You can grow corn in California, too.
USC cuts some stalks.
USC 35, Nebraska 28
Washington State at Oregon State
Saturday, November 1
4:30 PM PT, CBS
The win against Toledo will get overlooked on the national radar, but the Rockets are a legitimate program that has had a winning record 14 out of the last 15 years.
Oregon State has a chance to change the narrative of its season, but the Beavs have to get it done against the Cougars.
Flipping the week, the Cougs have a chance to finish their regular season 8-4, but can’t overlook the Beavers. OSU hasn’t beaten an FBS team this season. The key for WSU is to destroy the Beavs’ soul from the beginning.
The Cougar offense has struggled most of the season. They rank 111th in points per game. But they go on random spurts from time to time. They scored 21 points in the second quarter against UT.
For Oregon State, it’s time for Maalik Murphy to go win a game. OSU ranks 66th in passing yards per contest, but they gotta get it done in a big moment.
Washington State has a solid defense, but many of its players are playing their first year at the FBS level. The Beavs have players, too. But OSU ranks 84th in rushing yards allowed per game, and the Cougs are persistent on the ground.
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
WSU wins a weird one.
Washington State 24, Oregon State 21
No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah
Saturday, November 1
7:15 p.m. PT, ESPN
The Bearcats enter this matchup with a 7-1 record, but their best victory came against Iowa State. Utah enters the contest with a 6-2 mark, but already has two losses in the Big 12.
The Utes will be fighting for everything. UC will likely struggle to pass the ball against the U of U. Utah ranks 7th in pass yards allowed per game. Cincinnati ranks 58th in passing yards per game.
The Bearcats’ stats are a little misleading because Brendan Sorsby’s a killer. Sorsby has thrown for 1,843 yards, 20 touchdowns, and one interception. He’s also added 425 yards on the ground and seven rushing touchdowns.
UC also must hold its own against Utah’s offensive line. The Utes rank fifth nationally in rushing yards per game. They also rank 12th in the nation in sacks allowed.
If Cincinnati can get a push, they should be able to tackle Wayshawn Parker.
They also may be able to counter with their own ground attack, which ranks 31st in rushing yards per game. The Utes rank 56th in rushing yards allowed per game, but this number’s deceiving—they’ve been improving.
Utah’s already lost once at home this year, and it’s not happening again.
U of U gets it done at Rice-Eccles.
Utah 31, Cincinnati 24
