It’s always exciting when programs the caliber of No. 6 Oregon and USC meet this late in the season when the stakes are rising. But Saturday’s nighttime contest between the Ducks and Trojans carries even more weight regarding the College Football Playoff and Pac-12 Championship Game race, along with the drama of a personnel shakeup for a USC team that has lost three of its last four games.
Lincoln Riley fired his defensive coordinator Alex Grinch after last week’s 52-42 home loss to Washington. Shaun Nua and Brian Odom have been named interim co-coordinators following the fallout, and the duo’s first test comes against one of the best offensive players in the country.
Oregon scored 63 points and nearly 600 yards of offense in its last win over Cal, improving to 8-1 overall and maintaining its sixth spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. For the Ducks, a path to the playoffs will likely require winning the Pac-12 title. With five teams within two games of first place, there is little room for error. One of those teams still in the hunt is USC, which could overtake the Ducks in the standings with a win. When Lincoln Riley said the Trojans still have a lot to do in 2023, winning a Pac-12 championship was one of the goals still on the table.
Follow along LIVE updates as Oregon takes on USC.
How to watch Oregon vs. USC live
Date: Saturday November 11th | Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Autzen Stadium – Eugene, Oregon
TV: fox | Live broadcast: fubo (Try for free)
Oregon vs. USC: Need to know
A Heisman opportunity facing the reigning Heisman winner: Bo Nix is a strong presence in the Heisman Trophy discussion, boasting one of the best profiles of any quarterback this season and a career resume that continues to grow with each game. Nix is the FBS leader with a 78.1% completion rate, on pace to break Alabama quarterback Mac Jones’ NCAA record (77.4%). He also ranks fourth in both passer rating (180.14) and passing touchdowns (25). Nix is also the only FBS quarterback with at least 25 passing touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions and is the NCAA leader in career quarterback starts with 56 prior to Saturday’s game. Reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams has been the benchmark for quarterback excellence for much of the last two seasons, so a straight win for Nix would be another strong addition to an already impressive list of accomplishments.
Caleb Williams is still hot: While Williams’ chances of pulling an Archie Griffin and winning back-to-back Heisman Trophies seem slimmer given the Trojans’ midseason slide, his performance this year has been nothing short of outstanding. Williams is currently No. 1 nationally in passing touchdowns (28), No. 2 in passing yards (2,958), No. 6 in pass rating (175.0) and No. 9 in yards per attempt (9th). ,48). He is also tied for first in the Pac-12 with 10 rushing touchdowns.
What you should know about USC’s interim coordinators: The decision to leave Grinch comes as a result of a six-game stretch in which the Trojans went 3-3 and gave up 44.2 points per game. With their CFP hopes dashed, Riley has opted to make a midseason move to save the Trojans’ Pac-12 title hopes.
Inside linebackers coach Brian made a stop at Missouri before joining Riley and Grinch’s team at Oklahoma. He followed the pair when they transferred to USC in 2022. Defensive line coach Shaun Nua joined Riley last season after three years at Michigan. Riley stated that the coordinators’ responsibilities have been split “50-50,” but we don’t know who will be calling the plays. With a long list of issues to clean up, including basic things like open-field tackling, USC will look to take incremental steps against the high-powered Ducks. Because if the offense works like USC’s, even small steps on defense could lead to better results on the scoreboard.
Oregon vs. USC prediction, tips
SportsLine consensus odds
I know that number seems outrageous, but 74 total points seems like a given considering the impact of these two offenses. Like last week against Washington, it’s the type of game where three or four touchdowns can be scored in just a few minutes, so you don’t want any part of the big spread (although the underdogs there would be the Trojans). ). Take control and buckle up for a wild night ride. Selection: Over 73.5
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