With Washington sneaking into the top 25, the Oregon Ducks have the chance for another statement win this Saturday as they make their late-season charge toward the College Football Playoff.

A win over the Huskies would be a good primer for the Ducks’ critical Week 12 matchup with the Utah Utes. Shutting down Michael Penix Jr. would be particularly nice for the Ducks’ chances.

Here’s my look at that marquee matchup and other final thoughts heading into Week 11 of the Pac-12 slate.

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Colorado at No. 8 USC, Friday 6:30 pm, FS1

With some key offensive targets back in the fold, the Trojans are getting back to full strength heading into the stretch run.

Then again, USC’s 2nd- and maybe even 3rd-string would be enough to beat this Buffaloes team. Colorado provides a perfect time for the Trojans to get right and get healthy heading into a crucial Week 12 matchup with UCLA. Wideouts Jordan Addison and Mario Williams returned to practice this week to give Caleb Williams his top two targets back, though Tahj Washington and Co. have managed to hold down the fort in their absences.

What USC really needs, though, is a convincing win, no matter the opponent. The Trojans haven’t truly blown out a team since beating Fresno State, 45-17, in Week 3. The last two weeks, they struggled to put Arizona and Cal away.

But the Trojans are in no danger of letting Colorado hang around.

Prediction: Trojans gear up for UCLA with a big win.

Arizona State at Washington State, 12:30 pm, Pac-12 Network

Coming off a thrilling 52-14 win over Stanford last Saturday, the Cougars finally snapped a 3-game skid that saw their 4-1 record dissipate to 4-4. They’ll get a great shot to make it 2 straight and secure a bowl bid against a Sun Devils squad that put a scare into UCLA last Saturday.

Kudos to Arizona State interim head coach Shaun Aguano, though. The Sun Devils could’ve folded against the Bruins down 42-18, but they made the final margin respectable, and even had a chance to win the game, had they shut down UCLA on its final drive.

Alas, the Bruins won, but ASU showed some promise, particularly quarterback Trenton Bourguet, who has really seized the starting role for the Sun Devils. Bourguet went 38-of-49 for 349 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception against UCLA, and it’ll be an exciting matchup with Cam Ward on Saturday.

Prediction: Cougars reel off a second straight blowout win.

No. 25 Washington at No. 6 Oregon, 4 pm, Fox

The Pac-12’s game of the week also doubles as the league’s best non-intrastate rivalry. The Huskies and Ducks have been battling it out for years, but the stakes are particularly high this year.

For Washington, which is coming off a key 24-21 win over Oregon State last Friday, Oregon offers a chance for their first marquee win of the season, while they bear down on double-digit wins. Michael Penix Jr. should have a field day against a Ducks defense that struggles against the pass, but it may not be enough to stand toe-to-toe with arguably the best offense in college football.

And Oregon has proven, time and time again this year, just how good it is on offense. The Ducks will look to continue to bolster Bo Nix’s Heisman campaign, and a significant win over the Huskies would go a long way in bolstering his resume.

Prediction: Ducks stave off an aggressive UDub passing attack.

Cal at Oregon State, 6 pm, Pac-12 Network

Coming off their most painful loss of the season, a 24-21 loss against Washington last Saturday that dropped them to 6-3, the Beavers should have little trouble with Cal. But I’ve got a sinking suspicion that Oregon State is in worse shape than it looks, and Ben Gulbranson really laid an egg against the Huskies while Jack Plummer emerged from a season-long slumber to tear up the USC defense last Saturday.

Justin Wilcox let Plummer uncork it, and he sure did in the second half, when the Bears made a game of it against the Trojans.

The matchup between the league’s top two freshman running backs is particularly exciting, as we could see a showcase game for Cal’s Jaydn Ott and Oregon State’s Damien Martinez.

Prediction: Beavers bounce back from tough loss to Washington State.

Stanford at No. 13 Utah, 7 p.m., ESPN

Things have simply gone from bad to worse for the Cardinal, who were punished by Washington State last Saturday. Stanford’s 38-point loss to the Cougars was by far its worst of the year, and the Cardinal are clearly headed in the wrong direction.

Utah, meanwhile, is coming off a resounding win against Arizona, the kind of win Kyle Whittingham loves. Ground it, pound it football that saw the Utes run for more than 300 yards in the rain. After a narrow win over Washington State followed a clutch 1-point victory in a slugfest with USC, Utah needed a rout like it had against the Wildcats.

The Utes are in store for another one on Saturday, considering ESPN’s Power Index gives them a 95 percent chance of winning.

Unfortunately, they won’t be able to sharpen the sword against Stanford in preparation for their Week 12 date at Oregon.

Prediction: Utes lay the hammer down on Stanford.

Arizona at No. 12 UCLA, 7:30 p.m., Fox

In years past, this game would’ve looked mighty scary for the Bruins, who’ve shown a decades-long propensity to drop games they absolutely should not have.

And with Arizona’s passing game continuing to dial it up, UCLA’s pass defense should indeed be on the lookout.

But the Bruins were so overwhelming in their 50-36 win over Arizona State last Saturday — when they rushed for a season-high 402 yards despite the absence of the Pac-12’s best running back. Facing a Wildcats defense that has struggled in both facets of the game, including last Saturday when Utah ran all over them, UCLA should cruise to the win.

Prediction: Bruins avoid a trip-up in final tune-up for USC.