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For the Utah State Aggies, Saturday's game will lose some value if they don't get some help Friday.
As for Utah and BYU, the stakes — such as they are — already are in place. A closer look at Saturday's schedule, stretching over about 13 hours:
Utah at Colorado, 11 a.m. MST
This may be a manufactured rivalry, born of the Pac-12's expansion in 2011, but it has been competitive over the first three meetings. The trend should continue. Colorado is capable of scoring points, never mind last week's struggles at Oregon, and Utah's running game should thrive against the Buffaloes' defense.
Colorado is determined to get a Pac-12 win, and this is the last chance. Utah wants to show something after last week's poor performance vs. Arizona. I'll be surprised if it's not a decent game. The pick: Utah 28 Colorado 21.
BYU at California, 2:30 p.m. MST
BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has found a scheduling niche with the Pac-12 during the last week of the regular season, when conference members are not allowed to have byes. So we have this convergence of Utah and BYU playing back-to-back on the Pac-12 Network.
This one should be entertaining, like most of Cal's games. The Bears' offense has been very good against average (or worse) defenses, and BYU fits that description. Cal also surrenders a lot of points, so quarterback Christian Stewart and the BYU offense should be productive. I just wonder if the Cougars can score enough to keep up with Cal. The pick: California 42, BYU 38.
Utah State at Boise State, 8:15 p.m. MST
Even if Colorado State beats Air Force on Friday, USU will have considerable incentive in Boise — just not as much as the Broncos.
Boise State now is in position to earn a New Year's Six bowl bid, as the highest-ranked team from the Group of 5. The Broncos have to beat USU and win the Mountain West championship game at home next week to maintain that status.
If Air Force upsets CSU, then the Aggies will be in position to host that game. Either way, they can claim a division co-championship with a win at Boise. That's asking a lot, regardless of the circumstances. But the Aggies' defense should keep them in the game, and the Broncos have struggled to stop the run against New Mexico and San Diego State.
USU's key will be the play of freshman quarterback Kent Myers, who keeps improving. If he's able to exploit BSU's defense on zone-read plays the way he did against San Jose State and complete some timely passes, the Aggies will have a shot at an upset. If not, it will be tough to keep up with the Broncos. The pick: Boise State 31, Utah State 24.
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