Pac-12 Predictions: Week 2 picks against the spread

Sep 4, 2015; Corvallis, OR, USA; Weber State Wildcats quarterback Jadrian Clark (10) steps back after receiving a snap against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon State Beavers At Michigan Wolverines

Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Line: Oregon State +14

Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines may have lost their opening game, but against a tough competitor on the road, losing by just seven points is nothing to be ashamed of. Also nothing shameful about beating a FCS school at home 26-7, if you are a program that is one of just five power five teams to lose to a FCS school twice in the last five years.

This line is probably too high, given that the Beavers also have a new high-profile coach and that Michigan still has the same untalented players that were in the program last year. If you like hard-nosed, smash-mouth football, then be sure to tune it to this one at 8:00 AM, PT, on ABC.

Keys To The Game:

We know that Beavers’ head coach Gary Andersen likes to run the ball, and Oregon State ran all over Weber State last Saturday. The Beavers had 56 carries for 281 yards, or over five yards per carry. The defense, meanwhile, stifled the Weber State Wildcats to the tune of just 178 yards from scrimmage.

The Wolverines would love to follow a similar game plan, but against a dominant front seven at Utah, Michigan gained just 76 yards on 29 carries. Suffice it to say that whichever teams controls the line of scrimmage will win this game, and right now, it is hard to know which team will actually do it.

The Prediction:

I think Gary Andersen was a fantastic hire at Oregon State, and this team is going to be much better than people think. It would not surprise me at all to see the Beavers stomp all over the Wolverines in Michigan, but at the very least, the Beavers should easily cover in this one. Look for the Beavers to pull the upset, 24-21, in a close game.

Next: UCLA At UNLV