Oregon-USC: Oregon Takes a Trip To the Coliseum To Escape Defeat

Oregon should be No. 1 in the new BCS rankings, which will be released tonight.

A minor detail comes with this new title. In the past three weeks, every single No. 1 has lost. Not a great sign for the Ducks heading into a very underestimated USC team's territory.

There is only one thing that is for sure about the game of the week this Saturday; it's gonna be a great game.  

Oregon (7-0, 4-0), heads down to Southern California as one of the, if not THE best offense in the country behind rising star QB Darron Thomas and Heisman hopeful RB LaMichael James. This one of a kind offense is near impossible to stop, averaging 54 points per game. 

Here are some keys to the game.

Oregon

First off, the front seven on defense is going to play the biggest role for the Ducks this coming Saturday. Oregon has to get pressure on Matt Barkley, or he is going to pick apart that five-yard cushion that the Ducks always give in the secondary.

Secondly, if Barkley heats up, that means that the USC run game is going to be wide open with the linebackers having to drop back into coverage, and if that happens, Oregon may be doomed. USC's running game is highly underrated with two veteran running backs in Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford, who have combined for 1,000 yards rushing this season. 

Oregon has to put pressure on Barkley early and make him feel as uneasy as possible, or else it could be the twilight zone for the Ducks defense. 

USC

The main thing—above all the so-called "small" things to deal with in Oregon's offense—is to realize that no one in the country can absolutely stop Oregon's offense. There are too many weapons, and if you focus on STOPPING their offense—like every team has tried and failed all year—you will lose.

Plain and simple, you have to CONTAIN the powerhouse offense. What USC needs to do is slow down Oregon as much as possible. Take away the big plays, and make sure Oregon does not spend its average two minutes on an 80-yard drive down the field. Make Oregon drive down the field, and score in five minutes at least. 

If USC does not slow this game down, and keep the crowd into it, then there is no way it stands a chance. Oregon is too explosive of a team, and it does not back down to big crowds. 

The Trojans have to remember this—Oregon is going to score a lot. They will put up at the least 400 yards of offense, but USC can counteract those two things with eight-minute drives on offense, and keep their focus on defense through 60 minutes of football. They have to keep battling Oregon's stamina through the whole game. 

Should be a great game this Saturday, and I cannot wait to watch it. Go Ducks!

Prediction: Oregon 49, USC 38