USC
vs.
Stanford
College Football
Pick with Analysis
9/6/14
It may seem a little early for such a big Conference Game, but there’s no question USC and Stanford will be ready for this one. They know the implications as both are currently in the Top 15 of the polls. The Cardinal are at home and sitting around as -2.5 point favorites at 5dimes.com
Both teams got off to strong starts in their first Games, but maybe more so for USC as they covered by 20.5 points and Stanford only by 2.5 points. In Steve Sarkisian’s first Game as Trojans head coach, he couldn’t ask for much more. As for Stanford, it was nothing new for them as Ty Montgomery got another return TD and their defense dominated.
In their matchup last season, USC pulled the upset at home as 3.5-point underdogs. Stanford is looking for some revenge as that Game eventually hurt their chances for a national title bid, granted they still had one other loss.
If the USC offense can continue what they started last weekend, there’s no reason this Game isn’t a toss-up. Cody Kessler now has a full season under his belt, and plenty of targets to throw to along with running back Javorius Allen. The Stanford defense is a much bigger test, but Kessler’s patience was key in last year’s win, as he tossed for 288 yards and a touchdown with zero picks. Their rushing Game struggled, yet Kessler still got the job done.
The same can’t be said about the Cardinal’s Kevin Hogan, who sort of lost the Game for his team. Hogan threw for only 127 yards and two interceptions while they rushed for 210 yards on 6.0 yards per carry as a team. An improved performance from Hogan is a must if Stanford wants to win. He looked fine last weekend against UC Davis, but still threw an interception. It doesn’t help that Tyler Gaffney is no longer there in the backfield. Barry Sanders leads a young and inexperienced group so that could be an issue if the ground Game isn’t working. Receivers Ty Montgomery and Austin Hooper will play a large part as well, especially the all-around talent Montgomery.
There are still a few unknowns about these teams, mainly regarding consistency and how well Sarkisian’s USC team will look going forward, but there’s no doubt they are two top teams with solid squads on both sides of the ball.
The underdog has covered in six of the last seven meetings for these two teams, while USC has covered just two of those Games. The Trojans are just 2-11 ATS in their last 13 road Games and haven’t covered in eight straight road Games against a team with a winning record. The Cardinal are 4-1 ATS in their last five home Games. Also of note, the under has hit in seven of Stanford’s last eight Games vs. a team with a winning record.
Our models prediction using LAST YEARS stats – Stanford 26 USC 20