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

The Pac-12 showdown with the smallest point spread among oddsmakers is Arizona’s trip to Berkeley to face California. Rich Rodriguez’s team is favored by a field goal, but Cal is coming off a major upset of Washington State and could be turning a corner in its first season under Justin Wilcox.

Both teams are sitting at 4-3, but they are currently separated by a margin in opposite sides of the divisional divide. Cal has played USC, Oregon, and the two Washington schools to a 1-3 start. Arizona went 2-1 in its first three Pac-12 games against Utah, Colorado, and UCLA.

The Wildcats have scored at least 45 points in every victory this year. But California has been a hard team to score against, especially at home. Arizona does most of its work on the ground, averaging less than 175 yards through the air but featuring the fourth-ranked rushing attack in the FBS. Cal has shown a strong presence in the trenches this year, though, and running against them won’t be easy for Arizona.

Put RIch Rod’s Wildcats on upset alert, heating up the seat under the coach in what is sure to be a yo-yo season of emotional highs and lows. Arizona could return home to Tucson with its second conference loss of 2017, ending the shine of early promise to the season.