War of Position: Predictions for Epic Ohio State Buckeyes vs. USC Trojans Battle

After months of waiting, and a week of opening games, it's finally time for the Ohio State Buckeyes to host the USC Trojans in the Horseshoe this Saturday night.

USC looked very impressive, blowing out an overmatched San Jose State team in the Coliseum 56-3. In Columbus, the Buckeyes almost collapsed against Navy but held on for a 31-27 win.

With all the hype surrounding the game, it's finally time to throw out my predictions and analysis for the top OOC game of the season.

As expected from the previous week's results, Trojan fans have a quiet confidence about the game—and based on past history, who wouldn't?

Conversely, Buckeye Nation seems doom and gloom, leading some of their own team's players to question why fans think the game is already lost, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Needless to say, there is a lot on the line for the Buckeyes, such as renewed respect and an outside shot at a BCS Championship Game appearance for the third time in four years.

In Los Angeles, USC needs to win a big road game to make a BCS claim should they fall within the Pac-10.

So with both sides hoping to score a huge win, here's a look at what to expect in the game.

When Ohio State has the ball

Obviously, the Buckeyes' offense starts and ends with QB Terrelle Pryor. He has always been a great runner since his arrival in Columbus, but he has improved his passing ability dramatically from a year ago.

When he does throw, he has multiple targets in WRs DeVier Posey, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Duron Carter. All proved somewhat reliable in Saturday's win.

WRs Taurian Washington and Ray Small are the best deep threats in the receiving corps, though both have consistency issues.

One dimension of the offense we should see more after last week is passing to the tight ends, something not really seen in Columbus in recent years.

TEs Jake Ballard and Jake Stoneburner are both capable receivers and have the size and speed each to be big-play tight ends, similar to what USC had with Fred Davis.

At running back, the Buckeyes lack a true power back, but they do have a pair of quick, explosive runners in Daniel "Boom" Herron and Brandon Saine.

Herron is more of a sneaky inside runner who has quickness and hits the hole with authority. Saine presents a larger frame, but he has sprinter speed and quickness, which makes him a dual threat in the running and passing games.

The biggest question mark for OSU recently has been the offensive line. This year, only C Michael Brewster starts in the same position he did last season.

That should no doubt make for some chemistry problems, as demonstrated against the Midshipmen.

This weakness should have the Trojans' defensive linemen licking their chops. Even without Armond Armstead, USC still boasts two great linemen in Averell Spicer and Everson Griffen.

The USC linebackers, though inexperienced, simply fly to the football and create turnovers. Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith are very quick on the outsides, and Chris Galippo presents savvy and a thirst for forcing turnovers.

The Trojan secondary is truly what is special, with all four starters being seniors. Anchored by S Taylor Mays and CBs Josh Pinkard and Kevin Thomas, they look to shut down the Buckeyes' passing attack.

The keys for USC's defense are to confuse Pryor and force him to make errant throws while containing him in the pocket. They would prefer to make Pryor a passer rather than a runner.

Offensively, Ohio State must establish a near-perfect balance of running and passing against the Trojans.

Boom and Saine will have to get around four to five yards per carry, and the ball will have to be spread out to keep pressure off of any particular receiver.

When the Buckeyes do throw deep, their best bet is to make Mays play center field instead of leading receivers into him. Mays is not as strong in coverage as he is in creating drops, so the receivers must exploit that if possible.

When USC has the ball

All eyes in Columbus will be on USC's true freshman QB Matt Barkley as he faces his first true test as a Trojan.

The good news for USC is that he won't be asked to do too much. One thing most people should expect to see is a lot of running the football, with talented RBs Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and C.J. Gable toting the rock.

When USC does decide to throw, they like to do so with a little West Coast style combined with a lethal play-action attack.

Barkley has many capable receivers in superstar WR Damian Williams, TE Anthony McCoy, and other young receivers, featuring the tall David Ausberry.

They also present an X-factor unique to USC football in FB Stanley Havili, who burned the Buckeyes for a receiving TD in last year's encounter.

Up front, USC returns their entire starting offensive line from a season ago. Better news for them is All-American C Kristofer O'Dowd is back and will play in Columbus, the only question being his condition.

On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes will present the most talented defensive line the Trojans will see for some time this year.

The line is anchored by stud DEs Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward, who have a thirst for sacks and forcing turnovers. DT is more of a committee operation, led by senior captain Doug Worthington, but the rotation keeps the interior of the line more fresh.

At linebacker, the Buckeyes present a group of players with very different skill sets. OLB Austin Spitler, another captain, is the hard hitter great in run support. OLB Ross Homan is more of a versatile LB who can operate in coverage and run support.

In the middle is a unique form of OSU MLB, undersized Brian Rolle. Rolle may only be 5'11", but he stands in at 224 pounds, presents tremendous speed, and always seems to be around the football.

The real news for the Buckeyes defense might be in the secondary, as reports indicate that S Jermale Hines could replace current FS Anderson Russell in the starting lineup.

These projections have Hines starting at SS and captain S Kurt Coleman moving over to FS, a position better suited to his coverage skills.

At the corners, Chimdi Chekwa and Andre Amos are decent in coverage, but nothing too special, which is expected when replacing Malcolm Jenkins in the secondary.

The keys for the USC offense are to establish the run as a main threat and get 35 to 40 carries for their star backs. That will open up the play action and help take pressure off of Barkley, along with great blocking from the line.

For the "Silver Bullet" Buckeye defense, they will need their defensive line to create havoc on the outsides and force the Trojans RBs to hesitate in the backfield and think about where they are running.

Their main aim is to pressure Barkley into turnovers, but that might come if USC is unable to gash the Buckeye defense on the ground.

Ohio State will also have to make life hard on Damian Williams and keep an eye out for McCoy and Havili, because everyone who steps on that field as a receiver is a pass-catching threat.

Prediction

Stepping into the Horseshoe as a freshman is no easy task; just ask Chad Henne in 2004. Barkley may not be an ordinary freshman, but only time will tell if he is really able to handle the noise, which is expected to be at massive levels.

Pryor will have to play possessed for the Buckeyes to have their best shot on Saturday night. The line will have to keep him upright, and he has to be as good with his arm as he is with his legs.

The game should be a close contest right down to the end, but USC's power running game will be just enough to beat the Buckeyes.

Final Score

USC 34, Ohio State 28

A hard-fought battle at both ends will push the Buckeyes out of title contention, but they will gain a little respect back for pushing the Trojans right down to the end.

USC wins after scoring on a final drive in the fourth quarter.