Saturday’s matchup at Washington State

The Bears head up to Pullman, WA to face the Cougars tomorrow. Here are some thoughts about the matchup:

ESPN’s Bruce Feldman: “Picks”

No. 10 Cal 38, WSU 34: The Bears are the hottest team in the Pac-10, but my hunch is that the Cougars’ potent passing game will give Cal some problems. The Bears have struggled against the pass quite a bit this season (ninth in the Pac-10 in pass D), although I think some of that is a reflection of them being so far ahead of some of their teams. Thing that has me sold: Wazzu’s passing attack keeps it close.

Scout.com‘s “Mike and Jay’s College Picks”

California has climbed back into the top ten after demolishing Oregon last week (as well as crushing one of my upset picks), and looks to continue airing it out against the Cougars. On paper, this doesn’t look too intriguing, but we’re all aware of how WSU can surprise people, and it certainly helps that Cal hasn’t won in Pullman since 1979. Also, if you ignore the 40-14 loss to Auburn (yeah, I know, can you really ignore a 26 point loss?), the Cougars have made a pretty good showing this year, mostly thanks to their defense. They sure gave USC a scare a couple of weeks ago. I think California gets a scare, here, but ultimately pulls out the victory. Look for the Golden Bears to trail early on, and maybe even at halftime, but ultimately win this one by 10.

SportsTicker: “California looks to keep rolling at Washington State”

However, Cal has lost 10 straight meetings in Pullman, including a 51-20 setback in the last one, in 2001.

Washington State (4-2, 2-1) rebounded from a tough, 28-22 loss to Southern California with a 13-6 triumph at Oregon State last weekend. The only touchdown came on a 29-yard pass from Alex Brink to Jason Hill in the third quarter.

ESPN‘s “Lies, damn lies and statistics”:

40: Wazzu will be challenged to keep that run alive against a Cal offense that’s clicking on all cylinders. The Bears’ 45-24 romp over Oregon marked their fifth straight game scoring more than 40 points. That’s a school record.

27: In order to slow down the Golden Bears, the Cougars will need to figure out a way to stop DeSean Jackson. Jackson has scored a TD from at least 27 yards out in all six of Cal’s games this year. That includes a 36-yard TD reception and a 65-yard punt return last week against the Ducks.

Scout.com‘s “Mr. Pac 10’s Week 7 Picks”:

This could be the best game of the week, especially given how well the Cougars have played of late. Ever since their week one blowout loss at Auburn, Wazzu has really turned it around and played at a much higher level, especially in their close loss to the Trojans two weeks ago. If they can replicate that performance, they definitely have a shot.
On the Other Hand:
Even in (arguably) Wazzu’s best game of the year, they still lost by six points. And truth be told, in the last couple of weeks Cal has played appreciably better than USC, which isn’t at all a good sign for the home team.
Bottom Line:
Maybe this game will be close, but it’s much more likely that it’ll be a relatively easy win for the Bears.
Cal 34, @ Washington State 14