Pac-12 Football 2017: 5 teams on upset alert in Week 7

UCLA has been a hot-and-cold darling all season. The Bruins have also flown by the seat of their pants. They will head to Arizona as putative one-point favorites on Saturday, but Jim Mora’s team needs to beware the same desert mojo that could strike down Washington on the road as well. Even though the betting line is small, UCLA looks like the better team far and away — at least on paper.

With quarterback Josh Rosen throwing for over 425 yards per game, it is no wonder that UCLA is considered a favorite. But that also tends to ignore both the present and historical trends of what takes place in the desert. We have already seen Arizona State take down one favorite at home, and the Wildcats will look to follow in their state rival’s footsteps.

The Wildcats will also hope to take advantage of what are sure to be more UCLA penalties. The Bruins rank at the bottom of the national charts in both penalties and penalty yards per game. If UCLA can’t learn to control itself and show more discipline, that could lead to a big upset for Arizona.

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UCLA could still compete for the Pac-12 if the Bruins continue to win. The trip to Tucson is never easy for any team, as many an upset has been sprung at Arizona Stadium. If everything plays right, the Wildcats might be celebrating another takedown of a highly-ranked opponent on Saturday night.