Pac-12 Football 2017: 3 teams on upset alert in Week 8

Oregon has won six straight against UCLA, and it has been a decade since the Bruins took down the Ducks. Thanks to the Pac-12 split into two divisions, the rivalry has been dormant for the past two years. This year, both teams are flawed middleweights in their respective divisions, and it will be surprising to see who will emerge victorious.

The fortunes turned in Eugene when Justin Herbert broke his collarbone in the win over California. Oregon has dropped its past two contests after losing the second-year starter at quarterback. But is that a matter of playing ranked Washington State and Stanford teams or a display of a drop in quality?

The Ducks were never expected to contend in the Pac-12 North, and the upset loss to Arizona State in Tempe complicated any chances of bigger things in Willie Taggart’s first year. But Oregon is still in great position to play a spoiler, and a postseason berth is within reach. They are averaging nearly three and a half sacks and 7.7 tackles for loss per game under new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, though they give up 30 points per game.

If they hold UCLA to 30 or less, though, the Bruins will definitely be on upset alert. Josh Rosen will gain yardage against a Oregon’s secondary, but he could also throw a few interceptions to a defensive backfield averaging over a pick per game. If UCLA wins, it will likely be by less than a touchdown.