USC Football: The Story Inside the Story for Trojans Game Against Ducks

As the Trojans continue their migration toward national respect in the world of college football, they also face their most difficult challenge of the 2011 season.

For those who thought that Stanford was the most significant obstacle for USC to surmount, that notion was shattered Saturday evening when Oregon came into the Cardinal's house and punked them before a national audience.

Now the Trojans must travel to Autzen stadium, the graveyard of Duck opponents, and attempt to pull off the implausible before a very hostile crowd.

To USC's credit, they have improved each and every game over the last five or so, and at least now they can entertain realistic notions of coming out of there with a "W."

Realistic? Yes.

Likely? No.

Nonetheless, this group of Trojans feels as though they can compete, and if a few things go their way...who knows?

In the meantime, there are several vignettes wrapped around the novel of this game, and this slideshow will look at a few of these as we explore what should be a very compelling contest.

The One That Got Away: DeAnthony Thomas

If you want to put a villainous face on the Ducks, for many USC football followers, just show them a picture of Oregon freshman DeAnthony Thomas.

Thomas—a Trojan commit a year before leaving USC at the altar on the day of signing the letter of intent—is a fabulously talented, young tailback that many Trojans fans have come to detest.

It wasn't that Thomas changed his mind; that happens all the time with young players.

It was how he did it, first waiting until the very last minute to jilt USC, then compounding his gaffe in Trojans fans' eyes by having his "people" float a ridiculous excuse about how he had to leave the area for fear of his safety after witnessing a gang killing and expecting retribution.

Though few believed the "story," it did serve to anger the USC fan base, and many have come to view him as public enemy No. 1.

Still, there is no denying that Thomas is fabulously talented.

As a true freshman, Thomas is the Ducks' third leading rusher, averaging 8.0 yards per carry and leads Oregon in yards receiving.

For his trouble, Thomas is tied for the team lead with 12 touchdowns.

Make no mistake about it, it is equal parts envy and anger that motivates some Trojans fans' dislike of the youngster.

The one thing that USC can hang their hats on: as dangerous as Thomas is, he also has a penchant for fumbling.

If USC can limit Thomas' production and get him to lay the ball on the ground, that can go a long way toward a Trojan win.

Boy, wouldn't that make those who dislike DeAnthony Thomas happy...

Can USC's New Look Defense Keep Up with Oregon's High-Powered Offense?

Anyone who follows college football knows that the Ducks' high-octane offense presents problems for opposing defenses.

Many a defensive coordinator has lost sleep trying to figure out how not only to keep up with the Ducks speed but also how to keep their players fresh as Oregon rotates in player after player.

It's a dilemma that the Trojans' defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, now has to deal with as he attempts to come up with a game plan that stifles this mighty offense.

However, there is a model for how to do it, and Kiffin must look no further than the Ducks' only loss of the season.

In the season's first game, LSU handed the Ducks a 40-27 loss and in doing so, gave USC the model by which to pull off an unlikely win at Autzen.

Two problems, though.

First, Oregon, now 10 games into the season, has a much better offense.

Second, LSU has the best defense in the nation.

Still, the way the Trojans are playing defense right now, they can present problems for Chip Kelly's boys.

Though not big, the Trojans have probably the fastest set of linebackers in the conference, and they have been gearing up for spread offenses all season.

If the Trojans can turn the Ducks into a one-dimensional offense by taking away the run, they can win this game.

Of course, if frogs had wings, they wouldn't bump their, you know...

Speaking of Offense, Can the Trojans Continue to Run the Ball?

In order for USC to entertain any notion of limiting Oregon's offense, the Trojans will have to maintain control of the ball while they are in possession of it.

And in order to do this, they will have to win the battle in the trenches and run the ball effectively.

Earlier in the season, anyone who followed the Trojans would scoff at the idea that USC could run effectively against a very good Ducks front seven.

But not anymore.

The Trojans running backs and their young offensive line are maturing rapidly. Now, the running game is a strength, not a liability.

For the Trojans to win this game, they will have to run effectively to take time off the clock, but also to keep the Ducks defense honest against the passing game of Matt Barkley and his cohorts.

The magic number for USC's rushing attack is 200 yards.

Reach it and the Trojans could very well win this game.

But if they are too far below that number, well, it may be a long night in the Pacific Northwest for USC.

The Trojans (and Matt Barkley) NEED an Effective Robert Woods

If Ducks running back LaMichael James is the engine that makes Oregon's offense go, then the same can be said for Trojans wide receiver Robert Woods.

Like James, when Woods is firing on all cylinders, he opens up every other facet of the Trojans offense, forcing opposing defenses to not only account for him in every play, but must also do so with double teams.

This opens things up for the No. 2 receiving option, true freshman Marqise Lee, who has been wowing the Trojans faithful almost from the moment he stepped on campus.

The problem is that Woods is only about 70 percent healthy as of this writing.

And that is simply not good enough, as evidenced by Woods awful line against the Huskies last Saturday—two receptions for five yards.

Ugh.

That simply won't do against the Ducks. Without Woods, USC all of a sudden becomes a much easier offense to defend.

And the likelihood of USC winning this game becomes measurably smaller.

Well, Secondary and "Baby Linebackers," I Hope You Are Ready for These Guys

Here's a news flash: Oregon's offense is damn good.

And like Lane Kiffin says, they are probably the hottest team in the nation right now.

Which means that the back seven for the Trojans will have to play out of their minds Saturday.

With the Ducks accumulating a ridiculous 2,918 yards on the ground (compared to the Trojans' 1663), and another 2,065 through the air, somehow the Trojans have to find a way to bottle up a unit that can beat opponents any way it wants.

For the record, Oregon's offense has out-gained the Trojans by almost 600 yards.

Still, there is an "X" factor here that might play well for USC.

Actually, there are two.

First, the Trojans, especially their linebackers, are young. Very young.

Which can mean one of two things. Either Lamar Dawson, Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard, all freshman to one degree or another, keep getting better every week as they gain experience.

Or they will be exposed by both their youth and Chip Kelly's offense—the best in the country.

The other thing the defense has going for it is that they will likely be as quick as any the Ducks have faced that are not named LSU.

Whether or not it matters in the end remains to be seen, but if the linebackers and secondary can get the job done, USC could conceivably pull the stunner.

Conclusion

Realistically, can the Trojans win this game?

Probably not, but would you have even been considering the idea six weeks ago?

That the Trojans are even generating talk of an upset tells you just how far this team has come over the last few weeks.

If the Trojans can make a game of it, they will take a lot of good feelings with them back to southern California. Although, as any Trojans fan worth their salt will tell you, there are no moral victories when you don the cardinal and gold.

Still, next year is the target for a team that is still shooting arrows in 2011.

How this year continues to unfold will be largely answered this week.

Win, and the Trojans announce their return as a college football power.

Lose a close game, and there will still be a measure of respect to be gleaned for the men of Troy.

But lose big, and the questions may start once again.

Pressure? You betcha.

For the Trojans' sake, I hope that their players are just too young to know it.