This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Another college football season is moving too quickly toward the end. The tradeoff is that November always produces a bunch of important games, and that's true Saturday in the Pac-12 – even in the afternoon.  Saturday's games UCLA at Utah, 1:30 p.m. MST, Fox Utah's quest for its first Pac-12 South championship is complicated by running back Devontae Booker's absence due to a knee injury and the fact the Utes need some help from one of USC's remaining opponents – including UCLA, potentially. The Utes could move back in control of the race by 5 p.m. Saturday if they beat the Bruins and USC loses at Oregon. Or they could benefit from UCLA's beating USC next week, as long as they defeat Colorado.  The trick is winning without Booker, clearly their most valuable player. The offensive load shifts to quarterback Travis Wilson, who could become a compelling story, considering his up-and-down career and his history against UCLA as an Orange County product. Wilson lost to UCLA at the Rose Bowl in his first career start, threw six interceptions against the Bruins as a sophomore and was benched after two possessions last year in Pasadena in a game that backup quarterback Kendal Thompson ended up winning – with a lot of help from Booker.  UCLA can win the South title with victories over Utah and UCLA. Because of those head-to-head opportunities, the Bruins were not badly hurt by last week's loss to Washington State. This is a big stage for freshman quarterback Josh Rosen, against a Utah defense that recorded 10 sacks of former Bruins QB Brett Hundley last year.  This is really the first season when Utah's celebrated home-field aura has taken told in Pac-12 play. The atmosphere will have to make an impact in this game. Utah 27, UCLA 24.  Arizona at Arizona State, 1:30 p.m. MST, Fox Sports 1 Both teams wish more were at stake in the Territorial Cup after mostly disappointing seasons, but the first rivalry game of the Pac-12 season should be a great contest. Both teams are on a slight upswing, after Arizona's upset of Utah and ASU's defeat of Washington. The status of Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon, who sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter vs. Utah, is questionable. His availability is the swing vote in this game. Arizona State 31, Arizona 24.  USC at Oregon, 1:30 p.m. MST, ESPN Imagine Utah needing help from a team it beat by 42 points in September. That's where the Utes are, and the crazy thing is, Oregon is very capable of delivering that assistance. The Ducks clearly are a different team with a healthy Vernon Adams at quarterback, and their defense has improved since that 62-20 debacle in Eugene. USC interim coach Clay Helton has done a nice job with four straight conference wins, but the Trojans have not overwhelmed opponents lately. They trailed Colorado 17-6 before rallying for a 27-24 win, while facing the Buffaloes' backup quarterback. Oregon 35, USC 31.  Washington at Oregon State, 4 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Networks This game exists for two reasons, to provide content in this TV window and to give Oregon State a chance for a Pac-12 victory. There's also Washington's hope of bowl eligibility, which would require wins over OSU and Washington State. The Huskies will get one of them. Washington 28, Oregon State 14.  California at Stanford, 8:30 p.m. MST, ESPN The Big Game may help determine the Pac-12 North title. If Oregon beats USC, Stanford will have to defeat Cal to secure the championship in its last conference game. The Cardinal are coming off a loss to Oregon, while Cal righted itself against Oregon State. The Bears will be much more competitive than in recent years, but Stanford should remain on top. Stanford 35, California 28.  Colorado at Washington State, 8:45 p.m. MST, ESPN2 Colorado deserves higher regard than being known as the 11th-best team in the Pac-12, but the Buffaloes just can't seem to break through. And now they've lost quarterback Anu Solomon to a foot injury. Washington State is the North's success story, with a 7-3 record and the opportunity for two more wins this month. Washington State 38, Colorado 24.  — Kurt Kragthorpe