USC opens as a 3 point favorite vs. Utah

Home field is worth 3 points, so basically they’re calling it a pick ’em.

It does seem odd that the #3 team wouldn’t be favored against a unranked opponent, but USC is probably more talented than Utah & at home.

Remember what happened the last time Utah played USC in LA after they fired their coach?

Utah will continued to be doubted until they prove they have what it takes to run the entire gauntlet. So far so good.

I think Utah can win and probably should, but I won’t be shocked if they lose.

Lets hope they prove me dead wrong.

Fight on, baby!

I liked our chances better before Sark was canned, but I still like our chances.

Vegas odds are set at what they think will balance their books. Frankly, this just means that there are a lot more USC fans who wager than there are Utah fans that wager.

Exactly. The line isn’t a prediction of the score. It is a number the “house” thinks will produce equal bets on both sides so they can make their vig.

advanced stats LOVE the trojans. Hard to find one they arent top 10 in. I want to make this line look silly.

USC is such a dangerous team, albeit quite inconsistent, clearly. At the skill-positions, it has a lot of talent; though, in the trenches, I believe we can win. Just look at White, ASU’s returner/WR, who burned us on that 100-yd return — he’s a world-class triple jumper, which means he has speed. USC has quite a few of those athletes including Adoree Jackson, JuJu Smith, and a bevy of young, speedy running-backs.

I’m not trying to be a debbie-downer at all. Just highlighting USC’s skill-position talents. FWIW…ASU’s leading rusher, Demario Richard, did not play against us. Who knows whether he would have had any meaningful impact on the game. Our front-7 is stout. Although our DBs have been quite ball-hawking, we tend to have a hard-time covering speedy WRs (e.g. Cal)

In short, if we take care of the trenches against USC, I think that will more than off-set Kessler and USC’s skill-talents.

We have a major coaching advantage over USC, whether or not they have their drunk head coach.

Coddy Kessler is a darn good QB. Like all good QBs, his performance deteriorates under pressure. His OL is not that good. If Utah can put some pressure on the QB and generate some turnovers, they’ll be fine. Also, USC’s DL is not that great. Look for Booker to have another good game.

Speaking of which, I will be at the game. We access our seats through Tunnel 21. We’ll be attending the USC Associates lunch beforehand, serenaded by the band and song leaders while wearing Utah gear in enemy territory, NICE! I have some Utah D&F hats for my hosts. One of his sons asked why I rooted for a loser 4 years ago. I will give him a little reminder speech, hand them the hats and tell them Utah’s a winner and welcomes bandwagon fans.

I think Utah leads in stats (most computers I see pick Utah) but SC leads in tradition and talent. I really think this is a toss-up.

Just more material to feed our boys. I feel as long as there is some underdog stat/odds we play with a little more chip on our shoulder. Im fine with the spread, it has nothing to do with the game itself. Love it.