USC vs Washington

It is pretty clear to people who follow college football that USC has a ton of depth on their roster. Obviously, this is best illustrated by the running back situation. They have at least four backs who would be the feature back in most other programs- Chauncey Washington, C.J. Gable, Stafon Johnson, and Allen Bradford. They aren't the most experienced group, but running back is a position that doesn't require much experience. Blocking is really the only job a running back has that may require experience. Other than that, running comes pretty naturally, especially for USC's talented runners.

The receiving corps for the Trojans isn't the most experienced in the world, but they have as much talent as anyone. Junior Patrick Turner hasn't been extremely productive, and they can definitely expect more from him. After all, coming out of high school, he was the #1 ranked receiver in the nation (not that that means a whole lot). Other talented athletes include the young group of David Ausberry, Ron Johnson, and Vidal Hazelton. Even though they are young and inexperienced, they posses a ton of speed, explosiveness, and are a threat on every play. Probably the most impressive receiver, in my opinion, is emerging leader Fred Davis. Davis is a monster former wide-receiver who can run around defenders, or simply run them over. Look for the Trojans to get the ball to hyped freshman Joe Mcknight. Mcknight is capable of big plays, but he may not be ready for the big time yet. I don't know many names, but I do know that the O-line is also capable of dominating the game for the Trojans.

Defense may be the biggest strength for the Trojans, as they have ten returning starters. Every one of their eleven defenders is a star and capable of taking off someones head at any time. However, I have yet to see them truly strike fear into their opponents and take over a game. They will play well for sure, but they are capable of playing amazing.

As good as USC is, don't be sure that Washington is out of it. Washington has a very exciting quarterback in Jake Locker, who is pretty much the Tim Tebow of the west. They definitely don't have the athletes that USC has on their offense, but they are capable of putting some points on the board. Look for Jake Locker's running ability to be a key for the Huskies. It could also help them convert on crucial third downs. It will be very important for ther offense to avoid turnovers so they don't give the already potent Trojan offense a short field.

As with Washington's offense, their defense isn't star-studded. They are however, a good defense, that plays well together. To be successful, they must make sure tackles and avoid big plays. USC has looked surgical this year in driving the ball down the field, so it may not be enough just avoiding big plays. Washington will also need to create big plays, and maybe score some points on defense.

Washington is over matched in just about every category, and they should be. USC is the #1 team in the nation, and they have been called one of the best, if not the best team ever. Washington is playing at home though, and the weather will probably help them and maybe slow down USC a little. Washington could play very well in this game, but I don't think that they will be able to last 4 quarters. USC just has too much talent. Pete Carroll also has his team extremely focused, and I doubt they will let anything get in their way of another national title. An upset wouldn't have me terribly surprised, and I think Washington could do very well, but I just don't really see how.

USC 37 Washington 17