My Two Cents-Can USC beat Oregon?

Father and Son will look to execute a perfect gameplan to topple the Oregon Ducks

It can certainly happen because all the pressure will be on Oregon to stay highly ranked and get the opportunity to play for the national title in Glendale, Arizona. With the two-year bowl ban and thirty scholarships taken from the Trojans, this will be their defining game of the season. What better way to show the nation that they are capable of knocking off the No.1 team in the Coaches and AP Poll and No.2 in the BCS rankings.

The Men of Troy hope Monte Kiffin can dial up some inventive and easy to follow schemes that will help them thwart the explosive offense (No. 1 in the nation) of the Ducks. USC needs to look at last year’s Rose Bowl and study how Ohio State was able to shutdown that offense. With two weeks to prepare for this game, it will be downright embarrassing if the Trojans surrendered 50 points; there is still a bad taste in their mouths from last year’s drubbing, where Oregon hung 47 points on them.

If I was Lane Kiffin, I would establish the run with Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford. The less QB Darron Thomas is on the field, the less this team can score. Don’t engage in a shootout with this team, as they will win the battle. Special teams will be a factor too in this game: good kickoff /punt coverage and making field goals are a necessity. Touchdowns are needed to win against Oregon; kicking field goals won’t do it against this offensive juggernaut.

Everyone is eager to see how Monte’s Tampa 2 will fare against a spread offense team like the Ducks so this will be his opportunity; there is no letter grade for the defense come Saturday, it will be either Pass or Fail. Whatever the outcome, The Men of Troy will play inspired football as this is their glorified bowl game.  So expect to see the same USC team that was firing on all cylinders two weeks ago when they spanked Cal.