USC, NC State and others thrive in the chaos of college football (2023)

Fifteen years ago, college football witnessed one of the biggest series of failures in sports history. The then-FCS Appalachian State opened the festivities by defeating No. 2 Michigan, beginning a season where the second-placed team lost eight times in a year. Among the teams that reached this ranking only to face an unranked opponent were California, USF and Boston College; in the final two weeks of the season, Kansas and West Virginia held the position but lost to rivals Missouri and Pitt. When the dust settled, the national champion was the LSU team, which somehow returned to the top spot twice after losing to unranked teams in triple overtimetwice.

The chaos of 2007 will probably never be explained, but it is often mentioned when we see a particularly crazy week. Last season was reminiscent of the week of October 9, when unranked Texas A&M stunned Alabama, Oklahoma defeated Texas behind Caleb Williams, and Ole defeated Miss Arkansas in penalties, among other thrilling matchups. This week's aftershocks were clearly felt in a season with countless extraordinary teams in the hunt for the playoffs, and at the time it felt like years would pass before we saw another day of so much drama.

Instead, it only took 11 months. Week 2, 2022 overlapped with Week 6, 2021, and then some, going from a schedule that seemed uninspiring to a day full of constant drama. It started with Alabama-Texas, billed as the big game of the day despite a 20-point difference, which turned into a truly spirited slugfest as Crimson Tide struggled to take down the Longhorns. Alabama survived by one point on the winning roll, but the game raised serious questions about how the Tide offensive would work in the future. At the time, it looked like it might be the only real highlight of the day. Also...

In the afternoon, two top-10 teams faced off against unranked opponents, with Notre Dame and Texas A&M shocking the Marshall and Appalachian Sun Belt state. This was almost overshadowed by the added drama with Wisconsin losing to Washington State, Tennessee defeating Pitt in overtime, and Iowa State breaking a losing streak against Iowa by rain. As the evening wore on, Nebraska suffered its worst and final loss in Scott Frost's tenure, losing 45 points to Georgia Southern. The two big games in the west culminated in the evening as BYU defeated Baylor in double overtime and Oregon left Fresno State after a quarterback battle.

Will the rest of 2022 follow in the footsteps of 2007? That's a very high bar to aim for, but at least right now the sport is as confused as ever. The top three - Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State - are still fairly clear, but there are reasons to doubt all three: Georgia's biggest win is of indefinite quality, Alabama nearly lost to Texas, and Ohio State's runaway from Notre Dame looks set to be much worse than a week ago. It is not known how the teams outside the top will fare. USC (4-8 last season) is No. 7 and Arkansas (3-7 two seasons ago) is No. 10; Oregon (who finished 3rd last season) is not ranked, nor is Notre Dame (who reached 5th). Week 3 may be one of the least interesting schedules on paper, but after the final week, any game could turn into a must-see thriller.

All times are given as Eastern.

Purdue Syracuse (-1.5) - Sat 12 noon (ESPN2)

37 of the 64 teams participating in Power 5 conferences remain undefeated after two weeks. Many of the names in this group are not surprising; The AP poll is of course largely composed of this group, with 17 of the 25 teams selected from the undefeated P5. Another 10 received votes and here we start to see more unknown names like Oregon State and Texas Tech. Among the top 10 undefeated teams in power conferences that have not received any ranking anyway, there are many teams that you wouldn't expect to get zero votes (UCLA didn't get any at 8-4, really?) and others that you wouldn't expect 2 :0 (yes, it's really Kansas).

Somewhere on the other end of the spectrum, sharing space with the remarkably pristine Hoosiers, Scarlet Knights, and Blue Devils, is Syracuse. Orange's hot starts came against Louisville and UConn, admittedly not the most formidable opponents, but the way they completely dominated the Cardinals team that came back to beat UCF seems more impressive in hindsight. Only three teams beat Louisville by more points last year - Ole Miss, NC State and Kentucky - and all finished in the standings. If there's anything to be done, the way Syracuse went from Malik Cunningham and stormed to an easy 31-7 win bodes well.

If this team ever matched the 10-win season that launched Dino Babers' coaching tenure, Sean Tucker would undoubtedly be a big part of it. In just 23 career games, he took 2,334 rushing yards and 469 receiving yards, and last season he finished sixth in the nation with 1,496 ground yards. While Tucker has been solid so far in 2021 with 212 rushing yards and 101 receiving yards, he was not the key to Orange's unexpected success. That would be Garrett Shrader, who threw a career-high 387 passes this season - more than enough to write him off as an average journeyman quarterback with an uninspiring 6.8 yards for the carry. passing, 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

Despite his lack of hand talent (Shrader averaged just 140 yards per game last year), Syracuse enjoyed the spark he added on the ground in 2021, rushing for over 130 yards three times and winning a penalty shootout at Virginia Tech in the last of the these . game. He has been retained for 2022 and so far has more than rewarded Orange's trust in him. Shrader ranks fifth in the nation with 11 yards for the lead. the pass and added over 50 yards on the run a game no other quarterback in the top 25 can tell. Whether this astounding increase will continue later in the season remains to be seen, but so far it is one of the funniest stories of the year.

Louisville is enough to win to believe in Syracuse, but how Orange handles Purdue will tell us a lot more. The Boilermakers went 9-4 last year beating two top five teams at the time, an impressive season that failed to receive the praise it deserved. They lost to Penn State in week one, but just as it turns out how good a win in Louisville is, it remains to be seen how bad losing to the Nittany Lions will be. Even if the Boilermakers fall in Syracuse, it's not hard to see Purdue finding a way to get eight or more wins in the Big Ten West mess.

Of course, a victory over a non-conference opponent that could turn out to be quite good is a feather the Boilermakers would also like to have in their hat. Purdue's offense left much to be desired despite scoring 31 points in the opening game as poor running play (2.8 yards for the lead on 22 shots) led to heavy reliance on passing attack. Aidan O'Connell broke a career record 59 times and made 30 passes for 365 yards (6.2 yards on attempt). He looked much better against Indiana State in Week Two, averaging over 10 yards per carry. tries, 17-of-19 passing and four touchdowns, but the Syracuse defense will put him to the test. The Oranges are lean up front but have a strong secondary team led by Garrett Williams (16 tackles, one interception). Purdue should be more successful against this defense than Louisville and UConn - who had more turnovers than touchdowns - but how much will depend on O'Connell's ability to lead the attack.

To expect:

• Can one of Purdue's runners - King Doerue, Dylan Downing, Devin Mockobee or Kobe Lewis - take over as a real threat in the field?
• Will the Boilermakers have more secondary receivers after Charlie Jones (286 yards) caught nearly half of O'Connell's tackles in the first two games?
• If LeQuint Allen continues (24 yards on 10 carries), will Syracuse add Juwaun Price (692 yards in NM in 2021) to the running rotation?

FEI direct selection:Purdue z 4,9.

BYU Oregon (-3.5) - Sat 3:30 p.m. (Vos)

Week 1 is all about overreacting, and few games have brought it more than Oregon-Georgia. The Ducks lost 49-3, gave up literally every yardage possible, and fell from 11th place to an unranked spot despite facing a top-three team. You had to suspend your disbelief to think they might lose to East Washington - a strong FCS opponent, but still an FCS opponent - but the way they completely destroyed the Eagles, 70-14, meant a lot, confirming that the Ducks were still on track at least decent.

After taking on the most dominant force in college football in Week 1 and then a team they easily beat in Week 2, the Ducks will now face an opponent who will tell us a lot more about where exactly they stand this season. BYU is fresh off a dramatic two-header victory over top-10 Baylor, and with that game against Oregon, as well as mid-October meetings with Notre Dame and Arkansas, there was a time when the Cougars could have been playoff contenders had they been undefeated. This should be their biggest away game of the season, and they're catching the Ducks in a pretty good moment - perhaps still reeling from their loss to Georgia and still laying the groundwork under new head coach Dan Lanning. Still, Oregon is no laughing stock, especially in Eugene, where the Ducks have won 20 straight games since 2018.

Last week, BYU comfortably defeated the Bears in yards (366 to 289) and penalties (9 to 14). Really, he should have stopped the game sooner, but the hopelessly inconsistent play made it closer than it should have been. Christopher Brooks, Lopini Katoa and quarterback Jars Hall rushed nine or more times; none averaged more than 10 yards per carry. carry, and as a BYU team, he only totaled 83 rushing yards. The Cougars came out ahead, holding Baylor to 2.9 yards for the lead and 4.9 for the passing yard, but their own attack repeatedly missed them until they finally did in overtime. BYU's departure wasn't unusual, but he hopes to make up for it by returning one or both of his best audiences: Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney, who didn't play last week but will see play time this week. However, the absence of a threat in the field cannot be changed so easily.

Brooks has a long history of success since his days at Cal, where he amassed 1,734 rushing yards for a 15-yard carry. carry, and a bad play (following BYU's great debut against USF) could shake the Cougars' faith that it won't waver. Very. The fact that Baylor finished long runs so effectively - allowing just one over 10 yards the entire game - is cause for concern in the long run, but it could also be a good sign against Oregon. The Bears have a one-year loop defense that blocks explosive moves before they really start, which is a feature that the Ducks have not had until now. Three different players broke 10-yard runs from their defenses in the opening game, and while that comes with a grain of salt as they face off against the defending champions, it's not a point in favor of their Tier 2 defense.

On paper, though, it's something from Oregonshouldbe good at. Noah Sewell wasn't as much of a factor against the run as the team would have liked - he made 50 tries last season, finishing seventh in the Pac-12, but only has two this season. Justin Flowe, a former top 10 rookie, has been more of an anchor as a fullback so far, but Oregon needs both of them to lock down midfield and force BYU to rely on its passing game. Leaving secondary decisions in itself creates uncertainty, not only because Nacua and Romney will play or not, but also because the Ducks have undergone significant rotation in this position in the offseason.

As with everything, we only have two games with data against opponents that aren't really comparable, and they tell us what to expect: Stetson Bennett blew the Oregon defense for 439 yards, but the Ducks held off Gunner Talkington for only East Washington 87 yards and two knocked him out several times. It's fair to predict Hall's performance will fall somewhere in between these extremes, but at this point it's hard to tell how much the secondary Ducks will play, even ignoring BYU's receiving injuries. We'll know a lot more about both teams as they play each other, but for now, it's easy to see how this game plays out in different ways.

To expect:

• Will the talented BYU secondary shut down Bo Nix as effectively as Georgia (173 yards on 37 carries, two interceptions)?
• How much of a threat are the Ducks on the ground behind five rushers (including Nix) with double-digit leads that combine for 6 yards for the lead? haste?
• If one or both of Nacua and Romney can no longer play, could Chase Roberts (163 yards, 14.8 yards per catch) still be a target for BYU?

FEI direct selection:BYU umiera 5.2

Penn State (-3) w Auburn – sobota 15:30 (CBS)

Penn State reached the top ten in six consecutive seasons. Odds are the seven looks good after a 2-0 start and a relatively easy series of games against Auburn, Central Michigan and Northwestern, but the Nittany Lions also finished in the top 25 completely back-to-back. years. If they play with No. 4 Michigan, No. 3 Ohio and No. 11 Michigan in the last seven games, they'll have to try harder not to drop three times in a row. This visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium is not a game on paper, but it is an opportunity for Penn State to become a legitimate rival, not a paper Tiger.

Few quarterbacks' career lines fit their team's latest narrative better than Sean Clifford. As a sophomore, the passing Lions averaged 8.3 yards per carry. an attempt with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions—his career highs throughout the season. After the 2019 season saw Penn State go 11-2 and finish ninth overall, Clifford dropped to 7.3 yards for the lead. attempts in 2020 and 2021 with 37 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. When a 5-0 from the start turned into a 2-6 finish last season, his particularly dismal performance (6.4 yards per attempt, 10 touchdowns, 5 interceptions) was hard to miss. Due to injury, backup players Ta'Quan Roberson and Christian Veilleux had the opportunity to serve as Penn State's main passers in one game, but neither convinced head coach James Franklin that Clifford should be replaced.

Now Roberson has moved to UConn, Veilleux has assumed the role of the Lions' least impressive quarterback with 37 yards on seven carries this season. Replacing Veilleux as the support that fans have been so keen on, Drew Allar is a true five-star recruit with an incredible 9.5 yards for the carry. attempts and two touchdowns for 12 passes. Small samples can be misleading, but Allar seemed more than capable of leading an offensive that has obvious talent everywhere else. But for now, Clifford remains a starter. Is this the right call?

It would have been a much harder decision if Clifford hadn't started 2022 so strongly. He averages just 7.7 yards per game. tries, but threw five touchdowns and only one interception—four of those touchdowns came against Purdue, in a game that went for 72 yards after a game-win. Some people enjoy playing with the clutch against a strong opponent, and for them that's a valid reason to keep Clifford inside until he drops in a key position. On the other hand, you might as well point out the fatal three runs for this effort where he went 2-for-7 with 13 yards and a six. The game was probably just dubiousBecausefrom Clifford, and it's hard not to speculate that the talented five-star attacking lead will make the win much less exciting. It's easy to get Allar to take over as always when a backup shows so much spark, and it's not a foolhardy thought. But for better or for worse, Clifford has the reins to start this game; it will be revealing to see if he stays as Penn State struggles to score.

Auburn presents a particularly intriguing game for the Nittany Lions due to how well the Tigers have limited the run so far. The Tigers allowed just 128 yards and a 2.1-yard lead. they lead on the ground, and while Mercer and San Jose State aren't the toughest matchups, it's notable because their defense struggled more in the air. Although it only allows 6.2 yards per carry. attempts, the secondary also failed to intercept Fred Payton and Chevan Cordeiro, each averaging one per. battle at SoCon and Mountain West respectively.

It's a good bet that Penn State will have to lean on the pass in this game - freshman standout Nick Singleton has 210 yards on 20 carries this year, but 179 of them came against Ohio - giving Clifford and possibly Allar any the chance of proving can deal with the secondary to be surpassed. Will the Lions really be brave enough to field their longtime starter for an inexperienced (but clearly talented) freshman, or will Clifford finally seize the advantage he's always had and lead Penn State to the stellar season he's capable of?

To expect:

• Can Singleton do enough against Auburn's strong defense that the success of the offensive is in the hands of the passes?
• How much will Robby Ashford (10.1 yards on a try, one interception) play for the Tigers because of the struggles of TJ Finley (8.2 yards on a try, one touchdown, three interceptions)?
• Will Auburn's run, led by Tank Bigsby (198 yds, 6.8 yds for the carry), challenge the strong Penn State defense line?

FEI direct selection:Stan Penn faced a 3.5

Kansas Houston (-9) - Saturday at 4 p.m. (ESPNU)

Stick with me here: Is Kansas any good? Well, definitely not on defense; The Jayhawks dropped 10 points to the FCS team, which was eliminated twice last season, and then 42 points to the West Virginia team, which hasn't scored as many points in an FBS game since 2019. Despite this, the Jayhawks lead 2-0 for the first time in history 11 years after scoring 111 points in two games. They played four consecutive Big 12 games without losing by many points; the last time they had such a long streak ended with a conference game against Colorado.

It's weird to talk about Kansas facing a test and having a chance to prove themselves, but that's the way it is with a visit to Houston, who suffered a narrow loss to Texas Tech in double overtime last week. The Jayhawks offensive launched last year, culminating in a 57-point explosion in a program-defining victory over Texas; this was the first of three 50-point performances over five games, the same number as in the previous 155 games combined. At least the Jayhawks put together a good team, if nothalffrom a good team, which could be enough to win a few games this year.

After years of not finding a single good quarterback to lead the attack, the Jayhawks found two last year, both returning in 2022. Jason Bean threw most passes last season for 6.9 yards for the lead. tries, six touchdowns, and six steals - not the prettiest numbers, but on defense: this was his first year with the team, and he improved over time, to the point where he almost managed a huge surprise over Oklahoma with 246 yards for 23 routes. The future was quite bright under Bean; then, halfway through a football game against Kansas State, heIsubstitute Miles Kendrick was injured. Enter Jalon Daniels, who started six games in 2020 and bounced back improbably from his disastrous rookie season (4.7 yards per try, one touchdown, four interceptions) to record 7.4 yards per carry. tries, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

Daniels led in a tight end in 2021 - including a breakup over Texas - and this year he was even better, averaging 8.7 yards per lead. attempts with four touchdowns and one interception. With 114 yards on 15 carries, he's also a third of the Kansas offensive that has been extremely powerful so far, with three of the top four skilled sprinters from the Big 12 in yards for the lead. to wear. Other stars include Jayhawks standout Devin Neal, who returned last year, and Daniel Hishaw Jr., who returned from injury with all the promise he showed in a strong 2020 season. The year is still young and the schedule has been easy for Kansas, but the offense looks as good as it has been in the Big 12 so far.

On paper, Houston is able to keep up, but the Cougars stood out little other than star receiver Nathaniel Dell (170 yards, 14.2 yards to catch). Famed quarterback Clayton Tune averaged just 6.6 yards per carry. attempts, although the high drop rate (10.6%) and pressure rate (33 drop under pressure, tied for eighth place) are part of the problem. Alton McCaskill's season-ending injury during spring training was particularly severe, with first-class player Brandon Campbell averaging 4.2 yards per carry. tries, with the Cougars averaging just 113 rushing yards per game. Despite this, Houston scored 33.5 points per game thanks to a high conversion rate from third place, a reliable attack in the red zone, and five overtimes in two games.

You almost start to wonder if that's the caseHoustonKansas is lagging behind offensively, but it's worth noting that the Jayhawks had their hands full last week against a worse opponent on defense. In a quarterback battle designed to confuse anyone not paying attention, JT Daniels passed Jalon Daniels for 365 yards on 39 carries, three touchdowns and one (final) interception. Kansas capped off the run well, which will be a comfortable mismatch to Houston's depleted offensive, but this game is the perfect opportunity for the Tune to beat a secondary. The Cougars are favored, but they may have to win the shootout to escape Lawrence unscathed.

To expect:

• Does Kenny Logan Jr. Will the Jayhawks be as destructive as last year (110 tackles, four tackles for a loss, six steals)?
• Will Houston's offensive line, which sees six regular starters come together for 21, allow the pressure, step up and show their experience?
• How much pressure can Kansas talent Lonnie Phelps (three sacks) put on the Cougars, and how will Tune deal with it?

FEI direct selection:Houston version 14.7

Texas Tech at NC State (-10) - Saturday at 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

NC State has been announced as a dark horse contender for the College Football Playoffs this season, but there is understandable skepticism about that possibility. This only increased after a nervous win over East Carolina in week one. The Wolfpack are a talented team and they are sure to beat Clemson when they visit Death Valley in early October. But their schedule has plenty of lower tier challenges they need to overcome to build a playoff-worthy season. The first almost ended in disaster as NC State went scoreless for the entire second half and won by just one point thanks to a missed PAT and a blocked field goal winning attempt. They have games ahead of them including Florida State, Syracuse, Wake Forest and North Carolina, which will test the Wolfpack's consistency, but first they must beat the Texas Tech team 2-0 after an impressive victory over Houston.

The Red Raiders overhauled their staff during the off-season but continue the momentum from last year's bowling season. Upsetting the Cougars was a good first step in their 2022 campaign. Going into Raleigh and beating a talented team with a lot of continuity will be much harder, but they have players who will stay at NC State. Quarterback Donovan Smith, while not uncommon, was a consistent force in Texas Tech's offense, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. attempts with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions since taking over in 2021. On the ground, the Raiders are anchored by Tahj Brooks, who is nearing a career 1,000 yards at the start of his third season, and SaRodorick Thompson, who has again emerged as having received threats after making just six requests last year. The crime is overseen by Zach Kittley, who rose to prominence as the coordinator of Bailey Zappe's 2021 stellar season in western Kentucky.

The NC condition is solid on both sides of the ball. The Wolfpack look especially strong on defense, and when things go well, they have enough depth to take down almost any opponent. Five different players have already scored a total of 10 tackles for Wolfpack, including expected leaders like Drake Thomas, Derrek Pitts, and Tanner Ingle, as well as breakaway defenders (Cyrus Fagan) and defender (Jaylon Scott). They do everything right from the back, but what has not yet gone through is the back line. NC State only produced one sack in two games, finishing last in FBS. Players Wolfpack hoped to make noise against the offensive lines, like Davin Vann (four tackles last year) and Savion Jackson (23 tackles in nine games last year), just didn't come out. If anything, it's encouraging to see the NC State runners provide quarterback strikes and charges, but need to delve into the backline like they did last year when they finished 24th overall with 2.9 sacks per game.

Texas Tech could be a good team to do this with, with plenty of movement in the offensive line this season. Last week, the Red Raiders had 13 tackles for a loss and five sacks against Houston, with the biggest injury suffered by Caleb Rogers, a left tackle that has already allowed more sacks this year than all of 2021. NC State of course yes. NO. I'm in no great danger of going past the Texas Tech line, a role that Derek Parish (17.5 careers, including five this year) filled for the Cougars last week. Of course, this is a weakness that can be exploited, and if the Invaders can't stop the Wolfpack in the trenches, they have little chance against the rest of their defenses.

However, Texas Tech will have a lot to throw at NC State on the other side of the ball, especially up front. The Red Raiders had six home sacks, led by a strong start to junior Philip Blidi's season (4.5 tackles for a turnover, two sacks). However, the rest of the defense is still rearranging from the line after losing some key players from 2021, such as Colin Schooler and Riko Jeffers as linebackers, as well as Eric Monroe and DaMarcus Fields in the secondary. Krishon Merriweather was a strong defender, leading the team with 14 tackles and defensive backs Reggie Pearson Jr. and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson have done a good job, but it will still be difficult to stop the Wolfpack crime with high explosive potential.

To expect:

• Will Devin Leary continue to distribute the ball (six NC state players have more than three catches) or will he aim for top goals, Thayer Thomas and Devin Carter?
• Can Texas Tech stop Jordan Houston's dangerous double threat (81 rushing yards on 20 carries, 72 receiving yards on five receptions)?
• How well will Donovan Smith rebound from highs and lows, two touchdowns, three interceptions against Houston?

FEI direct selection:State of NC before 2.3

Fresno State at USC (-12.5) - Sat 10:30 p.m. (Vos)

It's been nine and a half months since Lincoln Riley was named head coach at USC after a season-long search for a coach and weeks of speculation. It feels like an eternity - full of playoff predictions, carry-overs, freshman skepticism and everything else that takes a great coach to the highest degree. The Trojans dominated Rice and pulled out of Stanford in their first two games; now, against a strong team from Fresno State, fresh from a close matchup with Oregon State, they face their first real test.

There are few precedents for the team in the USC situation. The obvious facts are unique in themselves: there has been no team in the transfer era that has amassed as much talent as the Trojans in the off-season, let alone a team finishing 4-8 and undergoing a coaching change. To further complicate things, consider that most of the top signings have contributed to the attack while doing little to restore a defense that allowed for 32 points per game last year. USC looked great for most of the first two weeks, but managed to go 23 points behind in a 13-point win - even though the Trojans had a 27-point lead in regular time. Is last week's game something Trojans should be worried about? The answer, as with everything we've heard about the band since Riley's nomination was announced, is painfully vague.

We can say with certainty that USC will have the weapons to wreak havoc all year round. The top three signings added in 2022 - Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams, Pitt receiver Jordan Addison and Oregon runner Travis Dye - have so far surpassed all lofty expectations. Williams threw six touchdowns, tied for second among passers yet to throw an interception; he also averages 12 yards per carry. passing (ranked third nationally) and has more yards on his 49 carries than any other quarterback with less than 60 attempts. Addison was instrumental in the passing success, accumulating 226 yards in just 12 catches. Compared to the other Trojan leaders, Dye's 125 yards is less impressive, but still ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in yards per lead. carry, ahead of stars like Zach Charbonnet and Tavion Thomas.

Fresno State's defense, while good on paper, consistently struggled in its biggest games, tying the team with Oregon. Despite concerns about their defensive line, the Bulldogs actually held the Beavers up front, allowing just 1.65 linear yards for the lead. carry - but in runs where their line wasn't straight at the start, their tier two defenses were nerfed by 4.59 yards per opportunity. It's a mismatch that USC can exploit with a physical advantage in the offensive line. Fresno State's passing defense is stronger - last year they managed solid Power 5 passes against Oregon and UCLA, in just one game where they allowed over 303 yards - but will have a big job managing the dynamic link between Williams and Addison. Ultimately, changes to the Bulldogs brawl will largely depend on what their offense can do.

There are those who believe that USC will fight for the playoffs this year and those who believe that the Trojans will fight for the cup, but almost everyone agrees that their defeat will be largely the result of defense. Stanford got the numbers after the Trojans already went 41-14 last week, but their overall stats still raise some concerns: 56% hitting rate, 490 total yards and notably 221 rushing yards, Stanford's most in a game since2018. Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener is a good passer (8.5 yards on a try, three touchdowns, and no interceptions this year), but the Bulldogs' strength has been on the ground behind star chaser Jordan Mims, who has 197 yards and four touchdowns in two games. With three main players - Mims, Malik Sherrod and Nikko Remigio - he averaged 6.1 yards per carry. carry, Fresno State has the edge to match USC and contribute to the recent history of defeating Pac-12 opponents.

To expect:

• Will the USC midfielder have the same success against Haener as he did in the first two games (177 passing per game, one touchdown, six interceptions)?
• Can defender Levelle Bailey anchor the Fresno State defense and prevent the Bulldogs' big getaways into Oregon?
• Will penalties continue to be an issue for one or both teams as Fresno State has been flagged 16 times and USC 15?

FEI direct selection:USC faced a 4.5

FEI Selection: Week 3

FEI Kiest ATS i 2022:5-7

Preston Kiest ATS i 2022:4-8