USC vs. Cal: Who Has the Edge and Why?

In this week’s Thursday night prime-time game, USC goes on the road to their rivals in the north, Cal.

Fans are getting tired of Jeff Tedford’s inability to win the big games, but a win here would take him off the hot seat.

Even though the Bears haven’t beaten the Trojans since 2003, this year could be different for a number of different reasons.

Read on for a breakdown of this game, as well as a prediction.

Cal Offense vs. USC Defense

Buffalo transfer Zach Maynard has revamped their passing attack which is currently ranked 20th in the country, and Isi Sofele is one of the best running backs that doesn’t get any national attention.

Under Lane Kiffin, USC has given up a lot of points. The reason why the Trojans are 4-1 instead of 5-0 is because of a really poor pass defense. In the games against the two most prolific passing attacks the Trojans faced—Arizona and Arizona State—they gave up 84 points and 946 yards.

They have just gotten off a bye week, but it is hard to imagine the Trojans suddenly becoming that much better against the pass. Expect wide receiver Keenan Allen and the rest of the Bear’s offense to put up big numbers.

USC Offense vs. Cal Defense

Matt Barkley and Robert Woods combine for one of the most lethal quarterback-receiver combinations in the country. Don’t expect Cal to be able to do much against them.

They are giving up 228 yards through the air and got absolutely shredded by Oregon, Washington and even Colorado. That said, their defensive line has been very active, averaging three sacks and nearly eight tackles for loss, per game.

USC running back Marc Tyler hopes to balance out the attack and keep the Bears on their heels for most of the game.

Key Matchup: Cal Defensive Line vs. USC Offensive Line

As previously mentioned, Cal’s defensive line is one of the best the country but USC’s offensive line is averaging less than a sack allowed per game.

No one has been able to cover Robert Woods yet this season—he has yet to catch less than eight balls in a game—and Cal doesn’t have a corner who can do it. The best way to slow them down will be dominate play on the defensive line and force Matt Barkley into early, errant throws.

The best way to take down USC is to make them one-dimensional and then force turnovers, something that the Trojans have been doing a lot this season.

Prediction

This is not the USC we’ve come to know and this could be Cal’s best chance to beat the Trojans in years.

But it is hard to get a read on the Bears this season because they either play much worse than their statistics show—look at the box score against Washington and explain to me how they were down almost the entire game—or they just don’t play well on the road.

With this game played at Cal on a Thursday night, expect it to be a close, high-scoring affair. But, with an extra week to prepare, I like USC to come out on top in this matchup.

By the way, if you like to bet on games, take the over on this game because the line is currently at 58 total points.

USC – 45

Cal - 41