Previewing the BCS Games, Part Four: The Rose Bowl

This is arguably the best BCS game this year.  In this year's Rose Bowl, we have two evenly matched teams that are going to fight to the finish in what should be a very exhilarating game.  In this game we have the No. 5 USC Trojans (11-1) and the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1).

Before we get started on the teams, let's talk about their common opponents.  Now, this has no indication on who will win this game, but it is always good to compare games that they shared.  Penn State and USC played both Oregon State and Ohio State.

Penn State beat Ohio State in a defensive, hard fought battle 13-6.  USC completely dominated Ohio State 35-3.  Penn State dominated Oregon State 45-14.  USC was dominated in the first half and then could not comeback against Oregon State as they lost 27-21.  So Penn State is 2-0 when playing common opponents, and USC is 1-1.

Now we can move on to the teams.

Okay, I know you are all sick of me talking about how good Penn State is, so I'm just going to give a quick summary of their offense and defense.

Penn State averages 452 yards per game. A total of 240 of those are passing, and 212 of those are rushing.  Penn State has a very balanced offense.  The main weapons on Penn State's offense are Daryll Clark, Evan Royster, Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood.

Daryll Clark is a dual-threat quarterback who runs and passes the ball very well.  He has only thrown four interceptions all year.  Evan Royster is a balanced back who is both quick and powerful.  

He also has pretty good speed.  He breaks many tacklers, avoids many defenders, and usually gains up to 10 extra yards on a play because he never gives up on a play and will drag the defenders.

Our three receivers, Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood make up one of the best receiving cores in the nation.  Derrick Williams is an all-around player who can make big plays happen whether he is receiving, passing, running, or returning a kick or a punt.  

Deon Butler is a fast receiver who runs downfield and catches the deep balls.  Jordan Norwood is a small, agile receiver with good hands.  Jordan is very good at avoiding defenders and slipping out of their grips; he is mainly a possession receiver but will occasionally get a reception for a big gain or a long touchdown.

Penn State averages over 40 points per game and they are +10 in the takeover margin.

USC, on the other hand, has a decent offense and a very good defense.

USC averages 253 yards per game (Oh my, one whole yard more than PSU!  That must mean that they are going to kill us!!!).  And 247 of those yards are from the passing game, and the other 206 come from the running game.

On their offense they have a golden-armed quarterback named Mark Sanchez.  Although he has a great arm, he is very inconsistent.  Some games he is great, and some games he is awful.  He has thrown 30 touchdowns, but he has also thrown 10 interceptions, many of which were very bad throws.

USC has a running game led by three main running backs.  These running backs are all very good, but not one of them is completely dominant, but they still terrorize defenses. The running game is led by Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and C.J. Gable.

USC's receiving game is led by Damian Williams, Patrick Turner, and Ronald Johnson.  All of these receivers are very good; they are tough, fast, and dangerous.  If any of them get out in the open, they are gone.  You always have to make sure that you cover these guys, or else they will destroy you.

USC averages over 35 points per game and they are +5 in the takeover margin.

Penn State and USC both have Top-Five defenses, statistically and performance wise. Statistically, USC's defense is No. 1 and Penn State's defense is No. 5.

Penn State's defense gives up just over 10 points per game, allow under 265 yards per game, and have only allowed 17 touchdowns and 10 field goals all season.  Some of those came in blowouts when our second and third string players were in.

USC's defense gives up a nation's best 7.8 points per game, a nation's best 206 yards per game, and have given up only 11 touchdowns and six field goals all season.  USC is led by defensive stars Ray Maualuga and Brian Cushing, who are both smart, hard hitting players who can knock anyone out cold and they are a force to be reckoned with.

I could go on and summarize the teams and their accomplishments this season, but I will write about that later when I write my Creature vs. Creature with a USC fan.

Now, to put it all together:

Rushing: Penn State gets the moderate edge.

Passing: Penn State gets the slight edge.

Receiving: Penn State gets the slight edge.

Defense: USC gets the moderate edge.

Special Teams: USC gets the edge.

Coaching: Penn State gets the blowout edge.  (Greatest coach of all time, DUH!)

Scoring Ability: Penn State gets the slight edge.

There we go.  According to the stats and who has the edge, Penn State has a pretty comfortable lead over USC.  Now, let's check my prediction.

Prediction: You will have to wait until my Creature vs. Creature comes out.  I will tell you this, however, my prediction is much closer than what the edges imply.

And there you have it.  Stay tuned for Part Five, The BCS National Championship!