Friday, November 18, 2011

A little bit on Stanford a little bit on USC


Vacation to Maui
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.
Oregon’s victory over Stanford last Saturday was one of those rarest of rare feats. A victory on the road over a top 5 opponent. So far this year it has only been accomplished by LSU, Texas Tech and TCU. Rankings wise this was the best true road win in the history of the program breaking the mark of the 1997 team who beat a #6 Washington team in Montlake. Oregon made Stanford look slow and confused and Luck lacking playmakers was off his game. Oregon is clearly peaking right now and I think they could give any team in the country a run for their money right now. On to USC . . . USC’s top 22 players are probably among the best if not the best in the country but the team lacks depth and is facing some injury issues. USC also has had major issues playing games in the state of Oregon lately. USC if they bring their “A” game can give Oregon a run for their money as they have a QB who is similar to Luck but without the mobility and a much better receiving core than Stanford’s. USC needs to build up a large lead and kill clock because Oregon will wear down the Trojan defense in the fourth quarter. A factor to look out for is the weather, it may snow and I think that may hinder both teams. The lower a score game the better the chances USC has to win. Will USC be mentally ready for this game or will they fold up their tent? I think this years squad has shown more mettle than the Trojans have brought in awhile and that is due to the leadership of Matt Barkeley. They are not eligible for a bowl this year (screwjob by the way) but still can claim a P12 South title despite what the league says. Look for Barkeley to connect with Lee and Woods and McNeal to have a nice game running. USC leads at half but Oregon runs away late in a game much like last years. Oregon 44 USC 31