Stanford vs. USC: Spread Info, Line, BCS Impact and Predictions

The Stanford Cardinal has been rolling right along this season, but they're about to face a very tough test when they take on the USC Trojans on the road on Saturday night.

We're going to see a battle of two future first-rounders in this one, as Stanford's Andrew Luck will be pitted against USC's Matt Barkley. They're going to let it fly, and we could very well have ourselves a shootout as a result.

Let's take a closer look at what we can expect to see.

Where: Los Angeles Coliseum

When: Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC

Spread: Stanford -7.5, according to Sportsbook.

This would seem to be a no-brainer, seeing as how the Cardinal has won 10 consecutive games by at least 25 points, but it's not. Stanford has played a pretty easy schedule this season, and Saturday's tilt at USC is without a doubt the toughest road game the Cardinal has faced so far.

That being said, I'd take Stanford to cover. The Cardinal is better than USC on both sides of the football, and I think Stanford will pull away late.

Over/Under: 60 points, according to Sportsbook.

This will depend entirely on USC's ability to score points on Stanford's defense, which is only allowing 12.6 points per game this season. I think they can do it, especially after watching Keith Price and the Washington Huskies hang 21 points on Stanford this past weekend. Stanford's defense is good, but not good enough to dominate USC's offense. I'd take the over.

Key Injuries

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Wednesday that Stanford strong safety Delano Howell will "probably" miss Saturday's game with a hand injury. Consider that an advantage for Matt Barkley and the Trojans offense.

Per the USA Today, USC has a number of players with iffy statuses for Saturday's game. Cornerback Torin Harris and tackle Martin Coleman are both questionable with shoulder injuries. Wide receiver Kyle Prater (foot) and linebacker Lamar Dawsom (ankle) are all probable.

BCS/Top 25 Poll Implications

This game has huge implications for Stanford. The Cardinal is currently No. 6 in the BCS standings and would like very much to make it to the BCS title game. To do that, Stanford must go undefeated.

Furthermore, a win over USC should help Stanford's cause in the eyes of the BCS computers. They're not entirely sold on Stanford, in large part because the Cardinal's schedule to this point has been less than inspiring.

Keys to Stanford Win

Despite the fact they have Andrew Luck, the key for Stanford will be to run the football. The Cardinal has rushed for nearly 220 yards per game this season, and they'll be going up against a USC defense that has been very good against the run. If Stepfan Taylor and friends can rack up yardage, things are going to be that much easier for Luck.

Keys to USC Win

There's not much hope for USC in terms of stopping Stanford's offense, so the pressure will be on Matt Barkley to have one of his good games. He can be inconsistent, but his good games tend to be very good. Essentially, he's going to have to out-duel Luck, which is no easy feat.

Prediction

This is not an easy thing for a Cal grad like myself to say, but Stanford is a very, very good football team. I do expect the Trojans to put up a good fight, but I think this one will end up going to the Cardinal.

Stanford 42, USC 31