Pac-12 Football Picks: Predictions against the spread for Week 1

Sep 26, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; St. John Bosco quarterback Josh Rosen (3) looks to pass against the Bishop Gorman Gaels at Fertitta Field. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Cavaliers At UCLA Bruins

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

The Line: UCLA -14

There are high expectations for the Bruins in 2015, despite losing senior quarterback Brett Hundley. Many people are predicting them to compete for the conference title. However, will the weight of the expectations combine with the inexperience of new quarterback Josh Rosen lead to a season of struggle for UCLA?

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are looking to rebound from a five win campaign that saw the team lose four of their last five games after a promising start. That streak included defeats to Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech by a combined 12 points. This feels like a program on the rise, and east coast teams travelling west have always fared better than the reverse.

Keys To The Game:

This game will be all about Josh Rosen and how he handles being the starting quarterback of a team ranked No. 13 in in the AP poll. Can he have success right away in what is undoubtedly a high pressure environment. Realistically, freshman quarterbacks take a year or two to reach their full potential, and expecting big things in his first college game is asking way too much.

Unfortunately, the Bruins will need him in this contest. The Cavaliers are a good defensive team, and ranked 18th in the entire nation in run defense in 2014. If the Bruins want to score points, they will need to throw the ball.

The Prediction:

This will be a hard fought defensive battle. The Bruins will struggle early as their run game faces stiff resistance from Virginia. Meanwhile, Rosen will show signs of being a freshman in making a few mistakes. Ultimately, those mistakes will not come back to haunt UCLA as the Cavalier offense can get nothing going. The second half will see Rosen improve and make some big throws down the field. The Bruin defense continues to dominate, and they escape with a win, 24-3.

Next: Washington At Boise State