Q: USCfan said:
Hey Scott the way Boise St and Ohio State beat Oregon was by winning the time of possession battle, forcing them in 3 and longs, Ohio St. winning some one-on-one matchups, and Boise St. out-flanking the Ducks with a great game plan. Do you suspect SC to do the same? What do you expect Monte Kiffin to dial up with his defense? What would you do? What does SC need to do to win?

Thanks for the forum Scott!

A: I think a major difference is the quarterback position. Jeremiah Masoli is not the passer that Darron Thomas seems to be in the games I’ve watched. The Boise game was Chip Kelly’s first as head coach so I sort of throw that out the window. I think USC will try to get pressure on from the d-line (with the addition of Wes Horton, Nick Perry) and hope to fluster Thomas. You might also see Devon Kennard blitz. USC needs to get some stops so that its offense can keep it in the game. If USC can score early and get the crowd going, then maybe the defense can cause a few punts and we might be in a close game that goes to the last play. That’s the scenario I envision for the USC upset.

Q: USCDad said:
Scott:

What is the status of Patrick Hall? Couldn’t we use him this week against Oregon?

A: He really has made a slow transition to football following his knee surgery last year so I don’t see him a major contributor. Additionally, he had problems with classes, etc.