NCAAF: USC LOOKS TO REBOUND
The USC Trojans are still reeling from their loss at Oregon State, but they’ll try to pick up the pieces starting Saturday night when they host the #23 Oregon Ducks.
Oddmakers don’t feel that USC will have much of a hangover for this game, installing the Trojans as 16-point favorites. This is an 8 pm ET game on ABC as they will have a regional telecast along with the Ohio State at Wisconsin contest.
Speaking of the OSU and Wisconsin, make sure to check our Primetime Prop. If either team wins by 26 points or more in that game in Badgerland, all losing ‘Margin of Victory’ props will be refunded up to a total of $100.00 for this specific game.
We also have the Player to Score 1st TD, and plenty of other props.
It was just a week ago last Thursday that USC stormed into Oregon State as 24-point favorites and ended up with a stunning 27-21 loss. Oregon State players and fans were really pumped up for that game at the outset, jumping out to a 21-0 lead.
USC made a valiant comeback effort behind the arm of Mark Sanchez, but it wasn’t enough and the Trojans saw their number one ranking plummet all the way down to number nine.
The question for fans all around Southern California is how can a team so great in all their big non conference matchups continually get tripped up by their Pac-10 foes?
USC looked utterly dominant in a 35-3 home win over Ohio State earlier a few weeks ago, and they made their last two Rose Bowl opponents, Michigan and Illinois, look like Junior College teams.
Since the beginning of the 2006 season, USC is 10-0 straight up 9-1 against the spread versus non conference opponents including bowl games. Against the Pac-10, those numbers are 14-5 straight up, and more importantly, just 7-12 against the spread.
Critics of Coach Pete Carroll claim that while he is great at motivating his team against other top ranked opponents like Ohio State, he fails to bring the same sense of urgency week in and week out. Clearly that will have to change this Saturday night if they are to win and cover against an underrated Oregon squad.
Oregon is 4-1 on the season (3-2 ATS). Their only loss was a 37-32 home defeat to Boise State that they almost came back to make a game of by scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Oregon’s quarterback situation is up in the air with Justin Roper doubtful to return this week from his knee injury. Still, the Ducks were able to put up 63 points at Washington State last week while only throwing for 161 yards behind Jeremiah Masoli. Oregon did have 346 yards rushing in that game led by the tandem of LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson.
You can be sure that Oregon saw the success Oregon State had running the ball against USC, although Carroll is sure to shore up that area first this week.
USC can score in bunches through the air and the ground, but it’s the defense that will determine whether they can cover this spread. After all, USC let up just 10 total points to Ohio State and Virginia in their first two games, and they need a great effort like that again.
The head-to-head matchup between these teams has been interesting. The Ducks beat the Trojans last year in Oregon, 24-17 while the team still had quarterback Dennis Dixon healthy. USC won and covered the previous three meetings.
One finally injury note, USC All-American linebacker, Rey Maualuga is reportedly out with a knee injury.
