Rose Bowl Odds USC Trojans vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
USC has a defense that has already become the stuff of legend. The Trojans have yielded just 7.8 points per game, and ranks first in total defense, first in pass defense, fifth in rushing defense (allowing 2.6 yards a carry) and has held ten different opponents to ten points or less.
BetUS NCAA Football Betting Odds: USC -9, Total 45
Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* PSU has covered four of its last six games
* PSU has won 12 of its last 13 games SU
* PSU has played four of its last six games OVER the total
* USC has covered two of its last six games
* USC has won its last nine games SU
* USC has played 16 of its last 23 games UNDER the total
There are high draft choices all over the place, including linebackers Ray Maualuga and Brian Cushing, safety Taylor Mays and defensive tackle Fili Moala. The stain on the record is the loss to Oregon State, which happened when USC just couldn’t dog itself out of a big first quarter hole.
You can’t analyze this game properly without acknowledging that Penn State’s defensive unit deserves lofty praise as well. The Nittany Lions ranked fifth in total defense, third in scoring defense, 12th against the pass and 9th against the run. Aaron Maybin, another All-America, had 12 sacks.
Penn State got a minimum of mistakes out of senior quarterback Darryl Clark, who tossed 17 TD passes and was intercepted only four times. He got hot in the season finale against Michigan State, with four touchdowns keying a Nittany Lion rout. Running back Evan Royster provides coach Joe Paterno with a dependable ground component, having gained 1202 yards. It will be interesting to see what happens if USC is able to shut down Royster and the Penn State running game, because as much as we appreciate what Clark has done, he hasn’t had more than 20 completions in any game this year. Could the Lions win on the strength of his arm?
There may be nobody named Reggie Bush on the USC roster, but this team exhibited some incredible balance in running game, with any of three different backs fully capable of shouldering the load, whether it be Joe McKnight (646 yards), Stafon Johnson (642) or C.J. Gable (604). Mark Sanchez threw 30 touchdown passes with just 10 interceptions.
There is certainly enough to argue a case for Penn State, which has that defense, a +9 turnover ratio, and an easy victory over Oregon State, which scored that win over the Trojans. Paterno has always been a great bowl coach, with a 23-11 record against the spread. We are hearing once again about how disappointed USC is about blowing its national title chance, and how it will carry over into the bowl game. We’ve seen that situation the last two years with USC, however, and the results have been a 32-18 win over Michigan which was not as close as the score indicated, and a 49-17 rout of Illinois. In both of those games, the Trojans’ team speed made the Big Ten opponent look like it was standing still.
Underestimate Pete Carroll’s ability as a motivator at your own peril. We won’t make that mistake, and will lay the points with the Trojans, the nine-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA college football sports betting odds.
