Here we renew our series, The Devils’ Best Interest, where we evaluate everything as it relates to ASU’s pursuit of the Pac-12 Championship.

Remember- the BCS is gone, and this is the first year of the new four-team playoff. With only four spots and a total of five power conferences, someone will be left out. We want the Pac 12 to remain strong so that, even if it isn’t the Devils in the playoff, a conference team will get in. ASU will still reap the benefits of a big payday for the Pac.

Without further ado, here’s a guide on who to root for this weekend. With so many moving parts, this in far from an exact science. Some of my pics may beg debate in the DieHard Forums.

Wyoming at #2 Oregon

There might be a little hangover in Eugene after the emotional win last week against Michigan State, but the Cowboys just don’t have enough talent to hang with the Ducks. Look for Oregon to win big and solidify their #2 ranking, which is good for the Devils.

Illinois at Washington

I believe the biggest surprise in the conference after two weeks has to be Washington, and not in a good way. 

The 2-0 Huskies had to eek out wins against both Hawaii and Eastern Washington, dropping them in the national rankings. Illinois is also 2-0 but as we have seen, the Big 10 conference has looked weak with some embarrassing losses and numerous close calls.

A Huskies win would help both the program under new coach Chris Peterson and the conference. I always root for the Pac 12 against the Big 10, and you should too.

Army at #15 Stanford

I hate to root against the service academies, but this doesn’t look good for them. This game is being played in Palo Alto, and Stanford looks for revenge after losing a close one at home to USC. Stanford is favored by four touchdowns, and that is about what I expect to see. Go Cardinal.

#9 USC at Boston College

The Trojans won ugly last week against Stanford but cracked the top 10 with their victory. I am still not sure that USC is a top ten team, but it bodes well for the conference so I’ll take it. 

The Trojans head back east to take on a 1-1 Boston College team that seems to be down from years past. USC is favored by 17 points, but Trojan fans knows that these are the games that have proved troublesome for them in the past. I see this one being closer than 17. Lets hope the Trojans put on a dominating road performance against a school from another power conference.

#12 UCLA at Texas

This game is huge for the fact that UCLA has not looked like the dominant team that so many people expected. 

The Bruins travel to the Lone Star State to take on a Texas team that was throttled for the second year in a row by BYU. On the surface this looks like a big game for the Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences only.  However, this will also go a long way in determining if BYU is that good or if Texas is that bad.

This is crucial because most experts believe if there is a team to make the playoffs from a non-power conference it is BYU. If that happens that leaves out another conference champion from a power conference in the four team play-off. We want UCLA to win big and come rolling into Tempe next week overconfident.

Portland State at Washington State

On the surface this looks like a likely win for Wazzu, but Portland State isn’t too bad. They come to Pullman with a 1-1 record to face the 0-2 Cougars. Hopefully, WSU seizes this one. It might just be one of a few winnable games on their schedule. We want even the bottom of the conference to hold up.

#16 Arizona State at Colorado

D.J. Foster leads the conference in rushing, and this is about the best place to go if you have to start conference play on the road. 

Colorado is still the weakest team in the conference, and the Devils are two touchdown favorites. It’s important for the team to not look past the Buffs in light of their bye week and upcoming showdown with UCLA on September 25. Should the Devils play at least an average game, they’ll get out of Boulder with a win. 

Nevada @ Arizona

Nevada isn’t ranked and doesn’t seem to be as good as in years past. A UA win over the Wolf Pack won’t be all that impressive, but it does help the conference.

Regardless, this is about what’s in the Devils’ Best Interest, right? Watching UA loose is just good for the Sun Devil soul. Let’s watch the Wildcats get spanked on Saturday in the last game featuring a conference team. That along with a Sun Devil victory will leave a lasting glow on the faces of ASU fans well past the weekend.

There you have it, the conference teams to root for on Saturday. As a side note, we want Notre Dame to continue winning. The higher their ranking when they visit Tempe on November 8, the more significant a Sun Devil victory will be.

Have a great weekend wherever you’ll be Sun Devil Nation. Go Devils!