Throughout the 2026 college football season, I’ll be giving you my just-for-fun picks for contests involving the best teams in the West across five conferences.
I started the season 2-1, correctly picking USC to defeat San Jose State and Stanford to beat Hawai’i, but missed on UNLV, which fell to Memphis.
This week, I am making picks for the following 10 games:
– San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
– Fresno State at No. 14 USC
– No. 7 Miami at Stanford
– Oregon State at No. 23 Houston
– Boise State at No. 2 Oregon
– Wyoming at Colorado State
– UNLV at Hawai’i
– Central Michigan at New Mexico
– UCLA at California
– Washington State at No. 17 Washington
Let’s get on to my picks!
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San Jose State at Eastern Michigan
Friday, September 4
3:30 PM PT, ESPN+
San Jose State’s first three quarters against USC is how their season felt a year ago. It was nice to see them show fight in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans were playing their backups.
In this contest, Luke Weaver needs to get his receivers easy touches. Guys like Carson Clark and Jerry McClure could prove the difference. The Spartans struggled to rush the ball in the opener, with Weaver leading the team with just 42 yards.
There’s only one way to say this: Someone needs to step up and change this team’s culture. They underwhelmed massively in 2025, and a loss to Eastern Michigan would be unacceptable.
SJSU only returns two offensive linemen. They also lack proven playmakers on defense. Everyone has a chance to write their story.
Eastern Michigan will rely heavily on Noah Kim’s arm. Kim threw for 279 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the opener. Benson Prosper and Nick Devereaux are his favorite targets. As with San Jose State, the Eagles struggled to run in week one.
Not a lot of people are likely to tune in to this matchup, but there should be a lot of offense in Ypsilanti.
SJSU survives.
San Jose State 38, Eastern Michigan 35
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Fresno State at No. 14 USC
Friday, September 4
6:00 PM PT, FOX
Whenever Fresno State and USC play, Reggie Bush comes to mind.
But this is a fun matchup because of the schools’ different cultures. The glitz and glam of L.A. and hard-working valley life aren’t friends.
But both are winners in their own right.
The trending story in Fresno right now is Jayden Mandal getting the starting nod.
Mandal has been with the program forever and beat out Maryland transfer Khristian Martin for the position. He’s the first quarterback in nearly a decade to be recruited by the Bulldogs in high school and start the opener.
Even though he’s the flashy story, the offensive line will determine this matchup. Matt Entz’s run-heavy style needs to be effective to keep SC off the field.
USC’s offense is explosive per usual, and Fresno State would get mallywhopped in a shootout. But if the line holds up, they feature arguably the best halfback duo in the Pac-12.
Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson can hurt Power Four defenses.
The Trojans need Jayden Maiava to play decently. Trent Mosley also shined in the opener with seven catches, 118 yards, and one touchdown. If SC’s defense can stop Luke and Donelson, they should win comfortably.
They’ll have something to prove after their fourth-quarter collapse against San Jose State.
Traveler kicks Victor.
USC 42, Fresno State 17
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No. 7 Miami at Stanford
Friday, September 4
6:00 PM PT, ESPN
Stanford performed well in the opener. Many analysts thought Hawaii had an outside shot to make the College Football Playoff. And both sides of the ball stepped up when the game was on the line.
The Cardinal could be better than expected, but they take a massive leap in competition this week. The key for The Tree is stopping Darian Mensah before he gets going. Mensah could be a Heisman candidate, but he still lacks game experience with his new squad.
Stanford should consider blitzing Matt Rose frequently at the start of the contest. Getting Rose in the face of Mensah could prove troublesome for the Hurricanes. Offensively, the Cardinal have to replicate the balance they showed in week one.
The U holds the talent advantage, but Davis Warren and Micah Ford are already battle-tested. Blowing a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter would’ve been a death sentence, but they got through it.
If Stanford is going to pull off this upset, they need to find an explosive wideout. JonAnthony Hall looked the part in the opener with two receptions for 81 yards. Hall’s consistency is needed going forward.
Warren also played big-time when he was the starter at Michigan. The Cardinal have improved considerably, but the Rainbow Warriors scored 27 on them.
Miami might double that.
Miami 45, Stanford 28
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Oregon State at No. 23 Houston
Saturday, September 5
9:00 AM PT, ESPN/Disney+
It feels like this game’s going to dictate Oregon State’s season. If the Beavers can win this contest, they should be able to make a bowl game.
The Beavs almost beat the Cougars a season ago; their record didn’t reflect how good they really were. This is a common cliché, but OSU did all the things to lose last year—all the things.
The other notable story in Corvallis is Braden Atkinson winning the starting job over Maalik Murphy. It’s a courageous decision by new head coach JaMarcus Shephard, but Murphy fell off last year.
And with Trent Walker, Darrius Clemons, and Taz Reddicks gone, he might as well do it now. With Shephard’s lineage as a college wideout, he knows who he would want throwing the ball to him.
But the decision was still unexpected from the outside.
This matchup is also vital because OSU will likely lose to Texas Tech the following week.
Houston will be ready, though; they were losing by 14 points in the fourth quarter to Oregon State in 2025 before all the things.
The Beavers may be the most overlooked team in the country this year. They have the talent to beat the Cougs.
Cougars claw the dam.
Houston 31, Oregon State 17
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Boise State at No. 2 Oregon
Saturday, September 5
12:30 PM PT, CBS
For two teams that don’t play each other often, it feels like the Broncos and Ducks play all the time.
But this is a really tough spot for Boise State. Oregon is a national brand now, and they’re stacked. The Broncos are probably still the best G6 squad, but the Ducks might be the best team in the country.
BSU rarely gets 24.5 points, but this might ease some of the pressure. In a week full of marquee Pac-12 games, this one’s the biggest.
If the Broncos play well, it could help them solidify a playoff spot later in the year. And while UO is a national title contender, Boise State was the last non-conference team to win in Eugene, back in 2008.
The Broncos are 3-1 all-time against the Ducks, and they nearly beat Oregon in Autzen two years ago, with Maddux Madsen at signal-caller.
But Madsen and Boise State had a superstar difference-maker that year in Ashton Jeanty, and he’s gone to the NFL.
BSU’s key is to limit big plays and protect the ball.
They should try to shorten the game, grind it out, and steal it at the end because they’ll lose a 100-meter sprint in TrackTown USA.
Spencer Danielson is a three-time conference champion, and the Broncos will throw some punches—but they can’t afford to get hit like Jake Paul.
The Ducks fanbase will be shouting.
Oregon 49, Boise State 21
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Wyoming at Colorado State
Saturday, September 5
3:00 PM PT, USA Network
This feels like a do-or-die game for Jay Sawvel, who has underwhelmed in Laramie, and a loss in the Border War will heat his seat exponentially. To avoid this reality, they must improve on offense after only scoring 24 combined points in the final four games of 2025.
They have a talented running back group and Diore Hubbard should be a nice addition, but they have to be able to throw the ball.
The line returns four experienced guys, which should give Tyler Hughes some time. Hughes is a transfer quarterback from William & Mary, who threw for 2,330 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also added 670 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns.
Colorado State will either fall flat or shock some people this year. No in-between. Jim Mora hasn’t revealed his starting signal-caller yet, which leaves the offense uncertain.
A few players who should impact the game on offense are halfback Mel Brown, wideout Tommy Maher, and tight end Juice Vereen.
Flipping the bigs, if CSU can get a consistent pass rush, they should have enough pieces in the back seven to prove troublesome. Oumar Diomande is a solid transfer linebacker, and the secondary did a good job of retooling in the portal. But Wyoming must win.
The Cowboys protect the border.
Wyoming 28, CSU 20
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UNLV at Hawai’i
Saturday, September 5
7:00 PM PT, The CW
The atmosphere shifted quickly after Week One. What was a potential G6 College Football playoff play-in game turned into two programs fighting for their season.
The biggest key will be Jackson Arnold’s pocket presence, since his offensive line failed him a bit last week. He also needs to get the ball out quicker. If he doesn’t, Sackson Arnold’s his name.
Jai’Den Thomas could also use some support; it felt like the entire Memphis defense was guarding him. If they don’t find a wideout who can win one-on-one battles, they might struggle to score this year. And that’s problematic against Hawaii.
The Rainbow Warriors started slow, but exploded for 20 points in the fourth quarter in Week One. And their best receiver, Pofele Ashlock, missed the opener. This feels like the type of game that Micah Alejado has to win himself.
The Bows struggled to run the ball in the opener, and UNLV’s defense is going to be locked in after allowing seven yards per play against the Tigers. UH features three seniors on the offensive line, which might prove the difference in this contest.
The Rebels have a solid back seven, but lack proven production on their line. They recorded only one sack in the opener. It feels like Hawaii should win this matchup but probably won’t.
The Rebels enjoy their stay on the Big Island.
UNLV 27, Hawai’i 21
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Central Michigan at New Mexico
Saturday, September 5
7:00 PM PT, FS1
New Mexico needs to win this game; the Mountain West could use one. But they first have to figure out who their quarterback is. With Jack Layne out for the season, they must find an immediate fix.
Jason Eck’s using his pandante face, though; he hasn’t disclosed much information about the decision. In 2014, he found success with a dual-quarterback system as a Division II coach. Minnesota State-Mankato finished 14-1 that year.
Whoever gets the majority of reps will also need to find new playmakers.
UNM lost their top five skill guys and will lean heavily on their offense to dictate tempo. New Mexico returns four of them, including Kaden Robnett, a Second Team All-Mountain West center.
Flipping time zones, Central Michigan relies on their rushing attack and ranked top-25 in rushing attempts a year ago. The Chippewas also use a dual-quarterback system led by signal caller Angel Flores. They’ll probably keep most of their passes short and try to protect the ball.
CMU was eighth nationally in completion percentage in 2025. The loss of Layne hurts, and it’ll probably cost them a few wins this season. But Central Michigan’s defense is basically new, and Jaxton Eck is the biggest baller on the field.
The Land of Enchantment traps the Chippewas.
New Mexico 24, Central Michigan 13
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UCLA at Cal
Saturday, September 5
7:30 PM PT, ESPN
Weirdly, everything’s different at Cal, but still pretty much the same. The Golden Bears parted ways with Justin Wilcox and brought in former Cal defensive line coach and UCB defensive lineman Tosh Lupoi to lead the squad.
The Bears are one of the more intriguing teams nationally this year. Cal’s jump this year will likely hinge on the flow of its offense.
Everyone is excited about the return of quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, but they added pieces around him. Running back Adam Mohammed was a huge find in the transfer portal, and Ian Strong is a nice addition at wideout.
Other key playmakers include Dorian Thomas and wideout Chase Hendricks.
However, the Bears will have to replace their top six tacklers on defense.
For UCLA, it’s the Nico Iamaleava show. Iamaleava got humbled last year, and it should prove interesting to see how he responds. New Head Coach Bob Chesney brought in a bunch of transfers from James Madison to help him out.
Notable names include halfback Wayne Knight and wideout Landon Ellis. They also added Leland Smith, a transfer wideout from San Jose State.
This contest pits two different signal callers against each other for a big opportunity.
Iamaleava stayed at UCLA to win, and he’ll do so this week.
UCLA 38, Cal 27
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Washington State at No. 17 Washington
Sunday, September 6
1:00 PM PT, NBC
This game means a lot for Washington State. With the Apple Cup uncertain after the current contract, a Cougars victory could change the tone of future conversations.
WSU is a huge underdog in this contest. 23.5 points favor Washington.
But with the game on NBC on a Sunday, the Cougs need to use the exposure.
Head Coach Kirby Moore knows how important this matchup is because he’s a Washingtonian. He grew up in a town located right in between the campuses, but his hometown of Prosser is Cougar country.
Even though WSU has every motivation to beat the Huskies, UW returns four starters on the offensive line, which hurts stylistically.
Washington lost Jonah Coleman and Denzel Boston, however, which could give Ol’ Crimson hope.
Washington State’s main goal should be to keep it close.
The Cougars face three Power Four opponents in their non-conference slate, and a blowout could send them on a downward trajectory.
This is a big opportunity for Washington State, the Pac-12, and everyone who’s been left behind.
But Washington’s bark is fearsome.
Washington 31, WSU 24
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