Pac-12 Football: 5 teams on upset alert in Week 2
By Zach Bigalke
After their heart-stopping comeback against Texas A&M on Sunday night, UCLA can be viewed in one of two ways. Perhaps they are a team of destiny guided by one of the most talented quarterbacks in college football. Either that, or they are a team about to float up the polls on a bubble of luck that will eventually burst much like it did for Tennessee last year.
If Josh Rosen and the rest of the Bruins get too confident after taking down the Aggies in their home opener, the bubble could burst earlier than expected. The Hawaii team that comes to the Rose Bowl on Saturday is much improved from recent Rainbow Warriors teams. They also already have two wins under their belt. Hawaii took down Massachusetts in Week 0 and FCS Western Carolina in Week 1.
In many ways, UCLA’s comeback was predicated less on some preternatural quality in their quarterback than the fact that Texas A&M let out some slack when it had a 34-point lead. Group of Five teams aren’t as likely to let up if they get any sort of advantage, and if UCLA gets roped into a close contest it could get ugly in Pasadena.
Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017
As a 23-point underdog, few will expect much of Hawaii. Remember, though, that Western Michigan took on UCLA’s crosstown rivals as a similarly-disregarded underdog. The Broncos covered the spread, and at the very least the Rainbow Warriors will as well. An outright victory is not out of the realm of possibility, given Hawaii’s veteran offense and the boost of confidence provided by a 2-0 start.