2013 College Football Picks: Oregon @ Washington Odds and Predictions – Free NCAAF Picks 10/12/2013

2013 College Football Picks: Oregon @ Washington Odds and Predictions – Free College Football Picks 10/12/2013: The Pac-12 North is loaded this year, and two of the division’s best teams will meet Saturday when the second-ranked Oregon Ducks (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) face the 16th-ranked Washington Huskies (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12). While Oregon is looking to stay undefeated and continue its push towards a national title, the Huskies can ruin the Ducks’ title chances while bolstering their own Pac-12 title hopes. The game will be the first true test for the Ducks while it will be Washington’s third matchup against a ranked opponent his year. Oregon enters the game as a 14-point favorite on the road.

Despite the departure of coach Chip Kelly to the NFL, the Ducks’ offense hasn’t missed a beat. Oregon currently ranks third in the country in rushing and second in scoring at 59.2 points per game. Dual-threat quarterback Marcus Mariota has been the catalyst of the high-powered attack, and while De’Anthony Thomas will miss another game with an injury, running back Byron Marshall and receiver Josh Huff are among the speedy weapons he still has to work with. Defensively, Oregon has been just as impressive. The Ducks are allowing the second-fewest points in the country, and the team’s secondary is one of the best around.

Washington’s resurgence has been a total team effort. Quarterback Keith Price leads a top-25 passing attack while Bishop Sankey heads a top-15 ground attack. The Huskies also have three quality receivers and one of the more athletic tight ends in the country in Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Washington’s defense carried its weight, as well. The unit is allowing just 14.8 points per game, which is good enough for 11th in the country.

The Ducks Win If:

For the Ducks to pick up a big road win, they need to get their high-powered ground game off and running early in order to wear down the Washington defense and set up big play opportunities in the passing game. The faster the pace, the better chance the Ducks have to win. Defensively, Oregon needs to focus on slowing down Sankey and the Washington ground attack. If the Ducks make sure that the Huskies can’t control the clock and have to try to keep pace in a high-scoring, fast-paced game, Mariota and company should have no trouble winning a shootout.

The Huskies Win If:

If the Huskies are going to pull off the upset, they have to establish Sankey early in order to control the pace of the game. The best way to slow down the Oregon offense is to keep Mariota and company on the sidelines, and a heavy dose of Sankey could do just that. Equally important will be the ability of the Washington offense to finish off scoring drives with touchdowns and not field goals. Defensively, the Huskies have to try to hold their own and at least make the Ducks work to move the ball down the field instead of giving up chunks of yards at a time. In the end, Washington has a shot at the upset if its power ground game controls the pace from start to finish and its defense can make a stop or two.

Bottom Line:

Oregon has looked next to unstoppable heading into Saturday’s game, but the Ducks really haven’t faced a tough opponent. The Huskies are going to change that, and Washington is legit on both sides of the ball. Keep in mind that the Huskies just went on the road and pushed fifth-ranked Stanford to the brink last weekend, and despite losing 31-28, Washington held the Cardinal to just 279 yards of offense. The Ducks are going to surpass that total, but the Huskies’ defense shouldn’t get completely run over. Meanwhile, the balanced attack of Sankey and Price should allow Washington to move the ball consistently. In the end, the Huskies may not have enough to upset the Ducks, but they can hang with a couple of touchdowns at home to cover the spread.

Prediction: Washington Huskies (+14) Cover the Spread

Oregon @ Washington
Time: 4:00 PM EST
Line: Oregon -13
Total: Over/Under 75.5

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