The USC Trojans travel to take on the Utah Utes as a pair of Top 25 college football teams hit the field Saturday night. The game is scheduled for a 10:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. Currently the odds for the game have the Trojans favored by a point in this close matchup.
Both Utah and USC are having solid seasons. USC could be a whole lot better and one of the teams fighting for a spot in the playoff talk, but the Trojans had pretty sad losses to Boston College and Arizona State — both games that USC should have won. Either way, the program still sits ranked inside the Top 20 and has many opportunities to continue piling up wins and make an argument to potentially sneak into the playoff.
Utah is pretty much in the same spot, but doesn't have the appeal or brand that USC brings. The Utes are ranked higher than USC and could be in that playoff discussion as well, but they too lost a game they had no business losing when Washington State knocked them off 28-27 a few weeks back. That's college football, however, and Utah has found a way to win both games since that problem, albeit both very close ones.
That has to help them coming into this matchup against a good USC team. The Trojans have won three straight in this series, but the Trojans are just 1-9 against the number as a road favorite their last 10 chances. Laying only a single point with that stat could mean a Utah win at home.
Both teams already have one loss in the Pac-12, so the loser of the game tonight is probably out for the conference title game. The battle of the quarterbacks will be big as USC's Cody Kessler will look to out-gun Travis Wilson, who has been up and down (and out) as the Utes starter in his career. Or maybe Utah will go with Kendal Thompson. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has found a way to get both guys in and playing, but it could lead to being inconsistent, especially against a fast USC defense tonight.
One thing is certain: Utah and USC both have an amazing running back. The Utes' Devontae Booker rolled up 229 and three touchdowns in the team's last win over Oregon State. USC's Javorius Allen already has better than 900 yards on the ground this season with eight scores.
The team's defense that plays better will win the game. With two very solid offensive clubs going at it, the defense that causes enough turnovers and gets off the field will have an advantage. Tonight that belongs to USC.
Free Pick: USC 34, Utah 31
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