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

Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez talks with his players in the huddle in the first quarter against the Boise State Broncos in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners At Arizona Wildcats

Arizona Stadium, Tucson, Arizona

The Line: Arizona -30.5

That line is probably too low, given the fast paced offense and the fact that the Roadrunners of Texas-San Antonio gave the Wildcats all they could handle last year. Of course, that game was in San Antonio and featured a young and unproven quarterback at the helm of the Arizona offense in Anu Solomon. Solomon has had an entire year to mature and understand the scheme of head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Texas-San Antonio finished just 4-8 last year, and lost big in their one road game against a power five opponent in Oklahoma State. They lost that one by exactly 30 points, setting up the spread for this game in Tucson. Anyone interested in watching just how badly the Wildcats are going to stomp on a smaller school can tune in to the Pac-12 Network at 7:00PM, Mountain Time, Thursday night.

Keys To The Game:

The only real key here for Arizona is to not overlook their opponent. With a road game against Nevada looming in week 2, some of the starters could be forgiven for looking ahead and not concentrating on the task at hand. This is especially true for a team last year that trouble staying focuses against lesser competition.

While the Wildcats stunned the Ducks in Oregon and took care of business against their rivals in Tempe, they also barely squeaked out a victory over these same Roadrunners, 26-23, and won games against Nevada, Cal, and Washington all by seven points or less. Rich Rod’s squad needs to live in the moment and take care of business in this game.

Prediction:

While nothing would give me more pleasure as a Sun Devil fan than watching the Wildcats lose at home to Texas-San Antonio, that is probably not going to happen. Still, given the track record of Solomon and company, it would not surprise me to see a competitive first half followed by Arizona pulling away in the third quarter. The Wildcats win, but not before giving Rich Rodriguez heartburn, 45-28.

Next: Arkansas State At USC