Game Prediction: No. 14 USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal

This game has a ton on the line in the Pac-12. If USC is a conference title contender, they must win this week. Here's how our staff sees this going down.

USC comes in off a decisive win against San Jose State, while Stanford had a pretty bad loss to open the season against Kansas State. If the Trojans have any dreams of winning their league and making a CFP push, they can't afford to lose to Stanford.

Here's what the BuckeyesNow staff is predicting for this big game out west Saturday night:

STANFORD at USC – Saturday, 10:30 p.m.
Spread: USC (-17.0)
O/U Total: 53.5

Brendan Gulick: USC 41, Stanford 10

How far have the Cardinal fallen since their days with Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey? Yikes. That team looked awful last week. Pretty tough start to the season for a team I actually grew up rooting for. I have always liked their program and am drawn to that GORGEOUS campus.

I'm trying to find something nice to say about a game that I expect will not be close. I don't have the utmost faith in USC yet, but they're moving in the right direction and I think they're playing a different game than Stanford right now. I hope the Cardinal can figure out a way to get better this season ... I think this is going to be a tough scene in Los Angeles Saturday night.

Andrew Lind: USC 34, Stanford 14

Stanford’s offense looked abysmal early in the season-opening loss to Kansas State, and the Cardinal hope their decision to bench quarterback Jack West for Tanner McKee can reignite the offense in a game that will be critical for their Pac-12 North title hopes.

USC, meanwhile, looked like what we’ve come to expect from Stanford in recent years, with solid quarterback play and a balanced running game that got the job done against San Jose State. I expect the Trojans to follow that gameplay again in a relatively easy win.

Brett Hiltbrand: USC 41, Stanford 14

I think I like Clay Helton, I know I like David Shaw and I LOVE me some PAC-12 after dark. It's rarely good but always entertaining and absolute catnip for a night owl like myself. 17.5 seems like a lot until I saw that Stanford lost to Kansas State a week ago. They didn't score until the fourth quarter and we all know about the Big-12 and its collective defensive abilities. College football is better when SC is good and I hope it continues. 

Caleb Spinner: USC 24, Stanford 10

USC is the clear favorite in this matchup. The last time I remember being scared of the Stanford Cardinal was when Christian McCaffery was a member of their roster. The Trojans handled business against San Jose State last weekend (as they should have), while Stanford struggled to stop the Kansas State Wildcats on the road. That game belonged to the Wildcats all the way until the final three minutes and change when Stanford finally found paydirt. However, I believe USC will fall just short of the spread, finishing with a 14-point margin of victory.

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