Game Predictions: USC vs. Washington

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

We’re a day away from Huskies and Trojans, so it’s time to make our predictions. We don’t want to play alone however, so be sure to leave your predictions below and let us know how you see it going down in Seattle.

Michael Castillo: USC wins 31-17The Trojans have a lot going for them in terms of the matchup. Keith Price is down, the UW defense comes into the game after giving up a million yards to Oregon, and USC finally got the offense running at top speed against Utah, albeit for about a quarter and a half. If those trends continue, the Trojans could find themselves waltzing to a victory much like LSU and Oregon have done against the Huskies.

But the Trojans don’t make things easy and playing the fourth road game in a five game stretch is tough, especially when CenturyLink Field will be extremely loud and possibly the loudest venue the Trojans have ever played in. Plus, Gus Johnson is on the call and there’s a prophetic law that states that Gus is prohibited from calling boring games, home openers against Hawaii notwithstanding. USC will find themselves in a fight for a while, but they’ll wear down UW like they did Utah and open up the scoring in the second half. Basically, look for a repeat of the Utah game, minus all of the funny snaps and concussion controversies.

Trenise Ferreira: USC wins 36-18When the Trojans travel to CenturyLink Field on Saturday, they will be in for another potential struggle. Matt Barkley has never played in Seattle, so there’s not really a good gauge of how he will fare there. Furthermore, the Trojans are just 18-17 (and have dropped eight of the last 14) in games in Seattle when its raining, and you can just guess what the forecast for this weekend is. On the other hand, the Huskies have been on a bit of a roller coaster recently, beating Stanford in thriller at home but then getting crushed by the Ducks on the road 52-21 in a terrible defensive effort. The Trojans have the better team, and if they can exploit QB Keith Price’s passing struggles and doubt, while keeping Barkley on his feet and giving him time to get USC’s own passing game going, USC should win this one. Blocking out the crowd noise and dealing with the weather will definitely be imperative to that happening, however.

Alicia de Artola: USC wins 33-25If this game was at home, I’d feel a lot better about it. Washington has won their three home games, including an upset over Stanford, and lost their two road games big against LSU and Oregon. The level of competition has been very different between home and away, but the fact remains that Washington is far more effective on their own turf. The Trojans also have a rough record on the road up north, so this this game will be tough.

Thankfully, the willingness to pass down field against Utah gives me hope that Lane Kiffin has finally opened his eyes and realized that he has the weapons to be more aggressive on offense. We also saw the offensive line handle a strong Utah defensive line (after the snap mishaps) and Silas Redd consistently produce in the run game. This may be the moment when the Trojan offense produces at the high level of the tail end of last season and if it is then it shouldn’t be close. Washington doesn’t have the offense to keep up with USC, especially not against a Trojan defense that has been stout for most of the year.

But it’s the Pac-12, and it’s the road, and it’s Steve Sarkisian. As much as I want to call this a blow out, there’s just too much that can go wrong.

Charles Gilmore: USC wins 28-20Based on the inconsistency on the offensive side of the ball, I do not see USC covering the spread in this game. Washington will be very motivated and it be playing in a very load home stadium. I am still hopeful that the offense will return to the form of last year and there is no better time to do that than now. Until I see evidence to the contrary, I believe that the Trojans will win this came 28-20.

Jesse Kennemer(TheHuksyHaul.com): Washington wins 28-24I could certainly be wrong, but at home, in the rain, after such a tough loss, I think the Huskies will actually step up. They played with so much toughness against Stanford…and don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think USC has that level of grit.