The Oregon Ducks are back in the hunt for the BCS National Championship Game following their big win over Stanford last weekend. They’ll continue their push against USC on Saturday.
USC Trojans @ Oregon Ducks – Saturday, November 19
Sports betting line: Oregon -15.5
Why USC Will Win
The college football betting experts who are looking at this game are aware of a few important realities, one of them being that the Stanford team which fell so markedly short against Oregon last weekend was playing without its fastest receiver, Chris Owusu. The Cardinal lacked the kind of game-breaker on the boundary who could gain separation against Oregon’s receivers and stretch the Ducks’ defense. Without a vertical passing threat, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was forced to restrict his attack to short- or short-intermediate throws. The Cardinal couldn’t go for deep balls or other particularly aggressive plays against Oregon’s secondary. USC, then, has something Stanford lacks: the deep threat in the passing game. Receiver Robert Woods is an elite pass catcher, one of the very best receivers in college football without a second thought. Woods’ combination of speed, size and strength has set him apart in the sport; he will cash an NFL paycheck as long as he doesn’t suffer a severe injury. Woods, who has a superb quarterback throwing him the ball in the person of Matt Barkley, gives USC’s passing attack the potency that will be needed to keep up with Oregon in a shootout. As long as the Trojans can make a handful of key plays on defense, such as a third-down stop here or a turnover there, they can definitely stay close to the Ducks, which is exactly what they did for the better part of three quarters last season in Los Angeles. It’s not hard to envision USC staying close in this game. It will be tough for the Trojans to win on the road in Eugene, but one can imagine a scenario in which they do pull off the upset. Other teams can’t even begin to realistically entertain the notion of winning at Autzen Stadium.
Why Oregon Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sportsbook review on this game, you have to keep coming back to the fact that Oregon simply owns the second halves of games. The Ducks outscored Stanford by 17 points in the second half of last week’s game against the Cardinal. They outscored Washington by 10 in the second half. They outscored Arizona State by 10 and California by 29. This team simply has more stamina and durability than its opponents. It is able to push the pace with its spread-option attack and wear down other defenses in the Pac-12 Conference. Last year, USC led Oregon 32-29 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter. The final score was 53-32 in favor of Oregon. The Ducks simply outlast opponents, taking away their legs and their heart by the time the fourth quarter arrives.
Who Will Win
It’s Oregon’s game to lose. The Ducks are virtually untouchable at home, and with their offense in full flight right now, there’s no reason to think that USC can stay appreciably close in the second half. This game might be tight for two and a half quarters, but Oregon usually pulls away from opponents. This will be a typical outing for the Ducks.
College Football Betting Pick: Oregon