USC vs. Wisconsin: 2015 Holiday Bowl Predictions

Both USC and Wisconsin will look to end their seasons on a high note in Wednesday’s Holiday Bowl. Can the favorite Trojans pull off the victory?

Clay Helton’s Trojans are favored at the casinos by 3.5 points, which indicates it could be a barn-burner at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The RoT Crew got together share their opinions on this week’s Reign of Troy Radio podcast. Here’s what they had to say:

Alicia de Artola:

The only thing I’m absolutely 100 percent sure about is taking the Under at 50.5 points. I’ve gone back and forth, depending on if I’m looking at the defense or the offense whether I think that USC can win this game, but I’m going to go with Vegas here.

Even though the Trojans haven’t done particularly well against the spread, the Vegas prediction of whether or not USC will win or lose has been fairly accurate. They squeak one out here. USC wins 17-15.

Michael Castillo:

Look for both teams to establish similar game plans, trying to run the football, stop the run and eat clock.

The game should be shortened, making each possession crucial, much like USC’s games at Cal, and most recently vs. Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

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The Trojans can have success in that style of game as long as they finish off drives, but if they struggle to make the most of their time with the football, Wisconsin’s No. 1 scoring defense could mean doom.

That’s when I cite points per drive stats as the deciding factor. USC has scored 2.60 points per drive, while the Badgers’ offense has been borderline anemic at 2.02 points. Let’s say the Trojans pull this out, but it won’t be pretty. USC wins 23-20.

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What say you, USC fans? Will the Trojans win the Holiday Bowl for the second straight year or will the Wisconsin Badgers be too tough of a customer in Clay Helton’s first bowl game as a full-time head coach? Vote in our poll and sound off below in the comments.

Who wins the 2015 Holiday Bowl?

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