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USC/COLORADO Write-UP
Tonight you have a USC ( 6-2 ) team fresh off of that heart-breaker triple OT loss to Stanford coming to play a Colorado team (1-8 ) thats entire season has been nothing but heartbreaking.
I shouldn't have to state the obvious, everyone knows that in a straight-up match, USC wins this game 10 out of 10 times, there is not secret there. What I hear everyone is worried about is whether or not USC is 21.5 or 22 points better than Colorado.
Everyone is still talking about the USC/Stanford game last week, and how USC is still mourning that loss and is expected to come out flat tonight. I think the exact opposite is going to happen. USC proved that they can hang with the best in the country, and had it not been for some ( arguably ) bad calls by the refs and a fumble at the end of the game, USC may have won. To have a game like that, end the way it did, it's going to leave a chip on the shoulders of the players. They are going to want to take those frustrations out on somebody, and who better than a terrible Colorado team.
USC has Matt Barkley at the helm who is having a tremendous season and could be considered on the same level as guys like Andrew Luck, RG III and Case Keenum ( arguably ). You have Curtis Neal at RB who ran for 145 yrd and two scores on a tough Stanford defensive front. At WR you have Robert Woods, and if you don't know who this guy is, you really need to watch the game tonight. As a sophomore this guy is averaging 10 yrds a catch and is on pace to break USC single-season reception record. This guy is a beast.
USC's offense is currently scoring about 30 points a game this year ( 4 straight 30 pts games ) while their defense is giving up about 27 ( which is skewed due to the triple OT Stanford loss ). The defense currently give up about 100 yrds on the ground and about 273 through the air. The USC defense is obviously it's Achilles Heel ( no pun intended )
On the Colorado side the only player worth mentioning is QB Tyler Hansen. This kid is a passer and throws for about 230-270 yards a game, which could become a difference maker against this suspect USC secondary.
On both offense and defense however, Colorado ranks in the bottom 30 nationally in both. Yes the bottom 30...they have been giving up 185 yrds on the ground and 245 through the air. They are averaging about 18 pts a game and that stat is skewed by them playing some pretty horrible defenses. Ohio St held them to 17, Stanford held them to 7 and Oregon held them to 2...
This will be the first-time this year that USC has been asked to cover this big of a spread, while this is Colorado's 5th straight game as double-digit underdogs. Previously they have been 17.5; 28.5; 30.5 and 31.5 underdogs, and have lost all 4 ATS. Colorado lost the 4 games by an average of 36 points.
The game is going to be played in the cold of Colorado, where there is snow expected this weekend. While it may take the guys from Southern California a while to adapt to the cold, I dont see it being much of a factor for long. Barring any kind of turnovers in their own territory I don't see Colorado putting up much more than 17pts...and I even think that may be on the generaous side. This is one of those games where you should just forget about the line and watch USC pretty much score at will. Pick the better team for the win and cover. USC rolls 42-17
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