Oregon-USC Pac-10 Showdown: 5 Things That Can Help Trojans Beat Ducks

Oregon's quest to remain unbeaten takes them to the Coliseum to take on Pac-10 rival and powerhouse USC.

Coming off a bye week having thrashed Cal 48-14 two weeks ago, the Trojans head into the game against Oregon as seven-point underdogs. Used to being the top dogs for a majority of the past decade, it will be interesting to see how USC adapts.

While some have USC as heavy underdogs, I think it's going to be a close one. USC aren't far off from being 7-0 themselves—this game could have been a battle of the unbeatens. At 5-2, their two losses have come to Stanford and Washington, both on last-second, game-winning field goals.

Can USC pull off the upset? Here's five things that can help the Trojans top the Ducks.

Home Field Advantage

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 16: General View of the game between the California Golden Bears and the USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 16, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

One of college football's toughest venues, the Coliseum will be decked out in cardinal and gold with 90,000-plus fans cheering for a USC victory.

It's also homecoming for Southern California, bringing a little more noise and excitement to the occasion. Oregon will head into a hostile environment on Sunday night and will have to contend with the loud USC crowd.

Can the Ducks offense exploit the USC defense in their own home?

Although still productive, the Oregon offense has fared a lot worse on the road than they have at home, averaging almost 200 yards less when playing away from Autzen. Although we can't exactly say that the Oregon offense has struggled on the road, it's certainly a talking point, and the USC defense will look to take advantage and feed off the energy from home crowd.

Underrated Defense

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 01: Assistant head coach Monte Kiffin on the sidelines during the USC Trojans spring game on May 1, 2010 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

The USC defense might not be what it once was, but the unit isn't lacking in talent like everybody thinks it is. The underrated defense is big, fast and physical.

Heavily criticized after the losses to Washington and Stanford, the USC defense rebounded against Cal to record two interceptions and hold Shane Vereen to 53 rushing yards.

Is this a sign that the Trojans and Monte Kiffin are all on the same page?

The defense will have play at that level and more to stop Oregon's high-powered offense. Facing Heisman candidate LaMichael James, one of the most electrifying players in college football, the 39th-ranked USC rush defense faces a big challenge.

They will have to limit the damage from James, and leading the effort will be defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, who led USC with 11 tackles when the teams met last year. Getting penetration is key for the Trojan defense in this game as they attempt to snuff out the run.

The Arizona State defense limited the Ducks to 3.5 yards per carry, and USC will have to do the same, forcing Darron Thomas to win the game through the air.

Monte Kiffin won't want to let Lane down like he did against Washington and Stanford, so expect the mastermind to have his defensive crew fired up and ready to go.

Matt Barkley

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 16: Matt Barkley #7 of the USC Trojans warms up before the game against the California Golden Bears at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 16, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

While much of the focus has been on Oregon and its nation-best offense, don't forget about Matt Barkley and the USC offense.

Barkley has become one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and will be looking to build on his recent form.

The Trojans quarterback has 20 touchdowns to just four interceptions this season, including eight touchdowns and no picks in the last two games. Barkley and the USC offense are red-hot heading into this game.

Barkley needs to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers—something which he has had no problem doing so far this season. True freshman Robert Woods and fellow receiver Ronald Johnson pose a dangerous threat to the Oregon defense.

This game could turn into a shootout and may come down to which offense can outscore the other. If Barkley can continue his impressive form and the USC offense can score early and often, the Trojans can pull off the upset.

Vengeance

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EUGENE, OR - OCTOBER 31: Wide receiver Brandon Carswell #80 of the USC Trojans is separated from the ball by cornerback Talmadge Jackson III #37 of the Oregon Ducks as he looks for some yardage in the first quarter of the game at Autzen Stadium on October

USC was embarrassed in the matchup between the two teams last year.

That, coupled with the resentment of seeing Oregon go to the Rose Bowl last season, will provide much-needed motivation for the showdown on Saturday.

After the loss last year and losses to Stanford and Washington this year, USC will be out to prove that they are the top dogs in the Pac-10.

With the Trojan defense allowing 613 yards in the loss to Oregon last year, they will be looking to show they are a new and improved unit under Monte Kiffin. The defense is going to come out angry. They're sick of losing.

This is USC's chance to get revenge.

This Is USC's Bowl Game

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SAN FRANCISCO - DECEMBER 26: Matt Barkley #7 of the USC Trojans passes against the Boston College Eagles during the 2009 Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park on December 26, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

While some may say USC has nothing to play for, USC will feel it has everything to play for.

With the bowl-game ban on USC, this is all the Trojans have to play for, so they should be fired up. They have a chance to spoil their rivals' unbeaten record, to enforce themselves as a football power once again and to let everyone know they are still very much alive and fighting.

The Trojans can deliver a message to everybody with a win against Oregon on Saturday night. Regardless of all the goings-on off the field, regardless of the negativity towards the program, it's USC against the world, and they should come out fighting against Oregon.