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USC (5-1) at Notre Dame (1-6)
3:30 EST, NBC
Why to watch: While there
might not be a more storied
non-conference rivalry than USC
– Notre Dame, you’d never know
it this year with the luster off
what’s normally one of the big
games of the year. USC has
looked nothing like the
preseason No. 1 team, losing to
Stanford and laboring to beat
Arizona over the last two weeks.
Can the injury-ravaged Trojans
regroup to win a sixth straight
Pac-10 title, or did they peak
with the Sept. 22 rout of
Washington State? It’ll be one
of the interesting sub-plots of
the second half of the year, as
few are expecting USC to be
anything more than an also-ran.
The big problem is the unsettled
quarterback situation, where
John David Booty might try to
play through a broken finger on
his throwing hand, but is more
likely to give way to Mark
Sanchez for the second straight
week. Losers of five straight
in this rivalry, Notre Dame will
be seeking to be the champion of
Los Angeles after beating UCLA
two weeks ago. The Irish has
some uncertainty of its own at
quarterback, where freshman
Jimmy Clausen is benched in
favor of junior Evan Sharpley,
but lately, being the starter
for the Irish doesn’t
necessarily mean much. While
it’s no surprise that Clausen
has suffered through growing
pains, Sharpley has provided a
nice spark in two of the last
three games.
Why USC might win: Will
Notre Dame score on Saturday?
Hard as it is to imagine, the
Irish has the worst offense in
America, averaging 190 yards and
11 points a game, and things get
no easier with the Trojans in
town. For all of the program’s
issues lately, USC continues to
harbor a star-studded defensive
unit that’s yet to allow more
than 100 yards rushing in a
game. The Notre Dame offensive
line versus Sedrick Ellis,
Lawrence Jackson, and the rest
of the Trojans D-line is a
mismatch that should get Clausen
or Sharpley planted into the
turf at least a half-dozen
times.
Why Notre Dame might win:
Is Paul Hackett still on the USC
sidelines? The Trojans offense
has been lethargic the last two
weekends, putting up just 43
points and turning the ball over
seven times against mediocre
competition. Unless Matt
Leinart and Reggie Bush dig up
some unused eligibility, things
aren’t going to get better
overnight, especially if Sanchez
is forced into action again this
week. While the Irish hasn’t
been a rock on defense, it’s
been respectable, creating
takeaways and overachieving in
pass defense.
Who to watch: Somewhat
lost in USC’s offensive problems
has been the play of TE Fred
Davis, who stepped up in his
senior year to become the team’s
go-to receiver. He leads the
Trojans with 29 catches and four
touchdown receptions, but even
more impressive is his gaudy
average of 17 yards per grab.
Davis will continue his salary
run this week against an average
group of Notre Dame linebackers.
What will happen: Playing
Notre Dame in front of a
national TV audience is a PR
opportunity for Pete Carroll and
USC to show the rest of the
country that they still have
relevance in 2007. As so many
have done this year, the Trojans
will shut down the Irish,
getting enough from the offense
for an easy win.
CFN Prediction: USC 28 …
Notre
Dame 13
...
Line: USC -18
Must See Rating: (5
Keeping Up with the
Kardashians
- 1 Ellen's dog plea) ...
3
Stanford (2-4) at Arizona (2-5)
7:00 EST
Why to watch: The winner
is pretty much assured of not
finishing the year in the Pac-10
cellar. Yippee. Arizona still
holds out hope of qualifying for
a bowl game, even though its
margin for error is almost
non-existent. The Wildcats
played USC to a stalemate for
most of last week’s game before
falling short in the final
quarter, their fourth loss in
the last five games. Stanford,
too, squandered a fourth quarter
lead last weekend, losing to TCU
at home and failing to
capitalize on the momentum built
in the upset of USC two weeks
ago. Like Syracuse, which
hasn’t done anything since
stunning Louisville, the
Cardinal needs to start winning
a few games in order to avoid
the one-trick pony label in
2007.
Why Stanford might win:
Arizona cannot run the ball this
year, so it’ll again be up to
Willie Tuitama, Michael Thomas,
and the passing game to move the
sticks Saturday night. That
could be a problem against a
Cardinal defense that already
has more sacks than all of last
year. The Wildcats have done a
poor job in pass protection this
fall, yielding 16 sacks, which
presents a problem versus a
Stanford D that’s not afraid to
sell out on the blitz with LBs
Clinton Snyder and Pat Maynor.
Why Arizona might win:
The Wildcats had problems
getting points and first downs
the last two weeks, but that was
against the veteran defenses of
Oregon State and USC. Stanford
isn’t going to be confused with
Oregon State or USC. The
Cardinal is last in the Pac-10
in total defense and next to
last in scoring defense, results
that’ll propel Arizona back to
three weeks ago when it lit up
Washington State for 48 points.
Tuitama will spread the ball
around to his receivers, getting
plenty of support from RB Nick
Grigsby, who’s shown flashes of
potential in his debut season.
Who to watch: Tuck away
the name Rob Gronkowski,
Arizona’s true freshman tight
end, who has an upside that
matches his 6-6, 250-pound
frame. He’s got the potential
and the raw ability to be a
complete player at this level
before too long. Gronkowski has
caught 10 passes for 217 yards
and three touchdowns, showing
that he’s ready to be an
immediate factor in the
Wildcats’ suped-up passing
attack.
What will happen: Arizona
was showing signs of life on
offense before running into
Oregon State and USC in
successive weeks. It’ll get
back on track this weekend,
scorching Stanford for 300 yards
through the air and 150 more on
the ground.
CFN Prediction:
Arizona
33 … Stanford 21
...
Line: Arizona -10.5
Must See Rating: (5
Keeping Up with the
Kardashians
- 1 Ellen's dog plea) ...
2
Oregon (5-1) at Washington (2-4)
7:30 EST
Why to watch: At a
post-Cal game crossroads of the
season, Oregon chose the path
that could lead to a January
bowl game, humiliating
Washington State on Saturday,
53-7. The only downers on the
day were the season-ending
injuries of WR Cameron Colvin
and RB Jeremiah Johnson, who’ll
be sorely missed the rest of the
way. The Ducks offense has been
scintillating this fall, scoring
at least 50 points in three of
the last four games, and
creating an environment for QB
Dennis Dixon to seriously
contend for a Heisman Trophy.
With a stumbling Washington team
up next and USC to follow,
Oregon better keep its eye on
the ball this week. The Huskies
have lost four straight after
opening with two wins and
quickly raising expectations.
For much of the year, including
last Saturday at Arizona State,
it’s been a tale of two halves,
with U-Dub starting fast before
collapsing in the final two
quarters. Is it conditioning,
poor halftime adjustments, or
some combination of the two?
The Huskies better figure it out
quickly because they’ll need to
play all four quarters to snap
the skid this week.
Why Oregon might win: The
Ducks are No. 4 nationally
running the ball. The Huskies
are atrocious at stopping the
run. It doesn’t take an
offensive guru to figure out the
Oregon gameplan. While Johnson
will be missed, starter Jonathan
Stewart is still one of the
premier backs in the country,
and along with Dixon, will run
circles around an overmatched
Washington defense. And if the
Huskies try to stack the line,
Dixon will burn them with the
help of one of his trusted
accomplices, WR Jaison Williams
or TE Ed Dickson. Basically,
Oregon has too much firepower
waiting in the wings.
Why Washington might win:
Husky QB Jake Locker hasn’t been
sharp through the air, but that
could change against an Oregon
pass defense that’s yielding 252
yards a game and has too many
breakdowns in coverage. Locker
will look to utilize Anthony
Russo and Marcel Reece, a
physical target who has caught
23 balls for 339 yards and three
touchdowns this year. Remember
that before playing so well a
week ago, this is the same Duck
defense that gave up 31 points
in back-to-back games with
Stanford and Cal. This isn’t
Autzen Stadium; while great on
the road, Oregon is unbeatable
at home.
Who to watch: With Colvin
and Brian Paysinger on the shelf
with injuries, it’s incumbent
upon Williams to be more than
just a go-to receiver over the
second half of the year. The
senior has to take his game to a
new level, while providing
leadership for Aaron Pflugrad
and Derrick Jones, two of the
young receivers that will see
their roles increase out of
necessity.
What will happen: Even
with the injuries, the Oregon
offense is too hot right now to
be slowed by a Washington
defense that’s playing on its
heels, particularly on run
downs. The Huskies will land a
few punches, but not enough to
make this game interesting in
the final quarter.
CFN Prediction:
Oregon
40 … Washington 23 ...
Line: Oregon -11
Must See Rating: (5
Keeping Up with the
Kardashians
- 1 Ellen's dog plea) ...
2.5 |