College Football: USC has enough to upset Oregon

This one makes you a bit misty for the ol’ Pac-12.

Southern Cal and Oregon, both ranked, both still alive in the College Football Playoff hunt, both offensive juggernauts.

Makes you stop for a minute and ask, why did that conference break up again?

You know, aside from the dollar signs …

Alas, the lore of the Big Ten’s bucks broke up the “Conference of Champions” and leave us with this as the highlight game of Week 13’s edition of Upset Alert Specials:

Two proud programs lurking in the background, ready to pounce on any opportunity to get into the 12-team postseason tournament … or improve their position in it.

When the 15th-ranked Trojans invade Autzen Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., CBS), the seventh-ranked Ducks appear to be firmly in the mix to make it.

Only they’re not. Winning at Washington, another exiled Pac-12 alum now in the Big Ten, in their regular-season finale doesn’t figure to be easy, and the Trojans, well …

Put it this way: That 10.5-point spread in favor of Oregon may not be the only thing Dan Lanning’s team fails to cover.

USC (8-2) is good enough to beat any team in the country straight up. For all the bluster made about its struggles on the road, USC lost at then-No. 23 Illinois by the hair of their chinny chin chin, 34-32, after the Illini pulled off a last-minute miracle. The Trojans later dropped a 34-24 decision at then-No. 13 Notre Dame in a matchup that was a three-point game until midway through the fourth quarter.

Oregon (9-1) already has lost at home this season. Granted, it was to unbeaten Indiana, now ranked No. 2 in the country. Still, it was a loss, and, again, the Trojans are good enough to give them another.

Especially since the two squads appear so evenly matched.

The quarterback battle may be the equal, or superior, of any we’ll see this season. USC’s Jayden Maiava hasn’t quite received the hype Oregon’s Dante Moore has this season, but, really, this is no solid reason why. He’s thrown for more yards and accounted for more touchdowns. The Ducks have a well-balanced offense with running back Noah Whittingham and his 8.2 yards per carry leading the ground attack. But the Trojans counter with former third-stringer King Miller, who has rushed for 719 yards and five TDs even though he’s only started the last five games.

Plus, USC has arguably the best wide receiver player in the country (sorry, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith promoters) in Makai Lemon, who has gone off for 21 catches and 314 yards in just the past two weeks.

Oregon has the better defense statistically, ranking third in the country.

This just seems the perfect opportunity for the Trojans to pounce, though. After all, it is kinda now or never.

In other games to consider this weekend:

FRIDAY

Florida State (5-5) -6.5 at N.C. State (5-5), 8 p.m , ESPN. James Franklin may have jumped the gun in taking the Virginia Tech HC gig earlier this week, figuring Mike Norvell’s position with the Seminoles – the one Franklin really wanted – was safe after FSU’s win last week. Expect the firing line at the ready once again after this one. The Pack has the edge all over the field at QB (CJ Bailey), RB Hollywood Smothers and LB Caden Fordham, although 6-6 WR Duce Robinson is special for the Seminoles.

SATURDAY

Rutgers (5-5) at No. 1 Ohio State (10-0) -32.5, 12 p.m., FOX. The Buckeyes are hardly the most impressive top-ranked team we’ve seen. Yet, somehow, even as they play meh at best, they end up covering their obscene spreads most weeks. That should end today. Oh, they’ll win, but Rutgers will be shooting for its bowl-qualifying sixth win while the Buckeyes will be thinking out their next game against “That Team Up North.”

No. 22 Missouri (7-3) at No. 8 Oklahoma (8-2), -6.5, 12, ABC. The Sooners are college football’s version of the Philadelphia Eagles: Terrific on defense, unwatchable on offense. With QB Beau Pribula possibly back for the visiting Tigers, and giving them a balanced attack they’ve been sorely lacking, that defense may not be able to cover the offense this week. Besides Mizzou HC Eli Drinkwitz needs to beef up that resume.

No. 13 Miami (8-2) -18.5 at Virginia Tech (3-7), 12, ESPN. With Hokie Nation fired up over the hiring of Franklin as their next After-Frank Beamer savior, expect an inspirational effort by a thus-far insidiously underachieving Tech. Carson Beck being the main entity to stem that tide likely won’t help the situation for the Hurricanes.

Delaware (5-5) at Wake Forest (7-3) -17.5, 12, ACC Network. The Blue Hens can smell that bowl-qualifying sixth win and Wake’s propensity to make every game a nailbiter the visitors just might get it in Winston-Salem. Just forget the Deacs covering the spread.

No. 24 Tulane (8-2) -9.5 at Temple (5-5), 3:45, ESPNU. First-year HC K.C. Keeler has been a wonderful balm for an Owls program that had been covered in sores that come from a half-decade of drek. It’s time Temple got its first signature win under his tutelage.

Pittsburgh (7-3) at No. 16 Georgia Tech (9-1) -2.5, 7, ESPN. The classis “line is telling you something” right here. Tech favored by just 2.5 points. At home. Against a reeling Panthers squad. Yeah, something’s up.