USC Bowl Possibilities

usc-ucla-2016I’ve seen bowl projections today that place USC in the Rose Bowl and Foster Farms Bowl. It’s quite a difference between those two. Bowl guru Jerry Palm believes Utah will upset Colorado and still go to the Rose Bowl because he projects Washington beating USC in the Pac-12 title game.

Even with a week to go there are still a lot of scenarios. One scenario no one will take, however, is Notre Dame defeating USC. The Trojans opened as 16.5-point favorites.

79 thoughts on “USC Bowl Possibilities

  1. After the way USC started and where they are right now is night and day. Whatever bowl they end up in is going to be better than what we were all thinking 9 weeks ago. I am smelling roses, baby.

    • Our beloved leader has them ranked 18th in his ballet. If SC beats N.D. and Utah upsets Colorado, then maybe he’ll move them into the top 14 on his ballet, if SC wins the Pac 12.

      • I’m not sold on Colorado. Their last game, at home vs WSU, did not make them look like a top tier team.
        No doubt, they have talent, but so does Utah…and I suspect the Utes will be fired up from their embarrassing (and magical) loss to Oregon. I’m going with Utah, 28-27.

        As for SC, it looks like they are not letting the win streak go to their heads. After that amazing performance in Seattle I thought they’d come into the ucla game over-confident. Nope. They seem to be on a mission, and I’m looking forward to a big win over ND at home in the Coliseum…37-17.

        • Jerry Palm is usually wrong, but there’s no doubt beating Washington twice would be insanely difficult.

        • I said back in September that USC needed discipline, teaching, and had to learn how to win. I think this team has turned the cornor, they have shown discipline, come together as a unit, and learned how to win. Coaching has done a very good job so far, these kids have come a long way in a very short time.

          • You are absolutely right. The teams under Carroll’s run, believed two things. 1) We are a second half team and 2) nobody can beat us. These kids have been getting better.

    • Man, no kidding. I wasn’t sure how they were going to put together 6 wins. I’m so glad I was wrong. I owe Coach Helton an apology!

    • 9 weeks ago there was talk of not being bowl eligible, firing the head coach, and starting over from scratch. Now there’s talk of being a playoff team!

  2. USC’s turn around has at least as much to do with it’s defense as it does with the QB change. During it’s 7 game win streak the defense is allowing just 17.4 points a game. The coaches deserve credit for that. Maybe next season they will coach the team to be ready to play at the start of the season instead of a month in.

  3. Jerry Palm is a buffoon. If this guy is such a “guru,” why do his projections change week after week?

  4. USC’s gonna beat ND. With this Trojan team, I’d never predict a blow-out in a rivalry contest, but if we bring even our B+ game, it won’t be pretty. And if our OL could stop the holding and frustrating drive-stopper offside penalties, we could be so much more efficient.

    With Darnold, there’s always some magic around the corner. Some of his escapes and completions are truly miraculous. I would hate to be a def coord against USC. Poor Tom Bradley must have just felt like he was cursed. So close yet so far from getting to Darnold.

    I predict a New Year’s Six Bowl for SC if we beat ND. We’ve got the team, the QB, the D, the top 10 wins and the huge Trojan brand.

    A great Sunday following a big ucla slap down. Bring on the Irish.

    • Thank God we’re no longer doomed in that “Decade of Domination” by the Domers in the 80’s. Boy, did I hate that! It sure is nice to be relaxed before a Notre Dame game like this, isn’t it?

        • Yup, 80s and 90s. Those were lean years. I guess I’m getting old, but a lot fans don’t even remember those dark days. Some (younger) SC fans expect us to be on top all the time. We who lived through 80s and 90s know different.

          • I was a kid in those days and it was heart breaking. I had to stay home to play in basketball or pop Warner and then get home play the tape of us losing to Notre Dame was tough. Year after year.

        • 2002–11 – USC’s Dominance

          “From 2002 – 2011, USC defeated Notre Dame nine of ten times, including a string of eight straight victories, in some games winning in a lopsided fashion unprecedented in the series. Despite the one-sided nature of this stretch, the series still produced a classic game in 2005.”

      • Lyin’ Lou Holtz owned us like no other coach ever has or ever will. I was in South Bend for a couple of those heartbreakers.

        Lou was a fierce and intelligent competitor. Thank God we ruined his final Coliseum experience!

          • I was at that game too. It was a miracle we came back. I call that the Sammy Knight game. He won it for us.

          • It was a bad end for Ron Powlus, Beano Cook’s projected two-time Heisman winner. Powlus misdirected his overtime pass into the hands Mark Cusano and that was all she wrote. The curse was over. What a relief!

      • I literally put a charred chicken, wrapped in tin foil, atop my refrigerator after the SC loss in 1986. I lit candles around the carcass, and mumbled some kind of ancient Trojan profanities. This was a feeble attempt, it turns out, to use Santeria to hex the irish. I expect it’s just now playing out….

  5. Jerry Palm sounds like a dumb a**. Is he collecting a paycheck? How do you predict a Washington victory over USC on neutral site when USC just went up to Seattle and beats the Huskies 26-13?

    #SMH

    • A: you predict payback. That’s the biggest motivation in CFB. But why does everyone think U-Dub will win out? They play their arch rival, WSU, for all the cookies… in Pullman.

      My hope: Utah over Colorado, Wazzu over U-Dub. That means SC vs WSU in the title game. Whodda’ thunk it?

      • I like that scenario too. WASU will be looking to bounce back and nobody wants to play a good Cougars team in late November up in the Paloose. It’s going to be a tough road test even for UW. And I’m sure Kyle Whittingham will have his team focused on getting back on the winning track after losing to Oregon at home with 2 seconds. Those will be two good ball games. We have to become Utes fans this week.

        • After USC puts an entire can of whoop-ass on ND I think if they do get into the CCG, a bet on USC is a sure thing. Ain’t no stopping us now!!! This season has sure become a lot of fun.

  6. Sam Darnold stats:
    Passing…..
    24-TD’S
    8-INT’s
    2,428-Yards
    68.3%

    Rushing…..
    54-Att
    214-Yards
    4.0-Avg
    2-TD’S

  7. Who else is playing in the Rose Bowl? Ohio St. or Michigan, whoever is best are going to the playoff. But I heard Penn St. could end up in the conference championship game. Harbaugh’s Michigan team would be a great Rose Bowl match-up with USC, lots of history in that one.

    • According to ESPN Wisconsin will get a playoff spot. The winner of the Ohio State-Michigan game will also get in.

  8. What surprises me about the Washington love is they are 1-1 vs teams ranked at the time of the game. SCCC and Stanfurd. Haven’t seen much from Washington that makes me think they would beat you guys or Colorado. Heck, what’s the spread in Wazzu. Anything more than UW -2 and I’d take the Cougs.

    • WSU was only able to beat you loser little gutties by 6 points in Pullman. So how good could they be?

      Did the Cougs just have a really bad game or did the bruins just get almost lucky for once?

  9. Good luck for ‘The Princess’ – 28 years of mediocrity is telling. That sweet con job they pulled back in 2012 – no CCG for ‘The Princess’ and even with that ‘inside straight’ they still can’t win but 4 games this year.

    They’re stuck with Kelly and his ineptitude and this Saturday will be a well deserved beat down of the Irish on ABC.

  10. Vegas has Colorado as a 10 point favorite over Washington. And remember the SC victory over Colorado was close, and was done without the first string quarterback.

    I am afraid Colorado will win the South, and then lose to probably Washington for the Rose Bowl

    • I hate to agree but I do – if CO were to lose next Saturday at home (Boulder) against UT with CO having a chance to win the Pac-12 South, that would be telling.

      I must say that upcoming game (CO vs. UT) is the best thing for that rivalry to get some air under it. 4:30 pm PST on Fox – it’ll be right up there w. the WA @ WA St – 12:30 pm PST..

    • I predict CU beats UTAH at home and wins the Pac-12 South. Won’t make much difference though because the Playoff Committee will have USC in the top 10 after we beat ND and we’ll play in a New Year’s Six Bowl. Good enough!

  11. 1988 – Notre Dame 27, USC 10 – #1 vs #2

    “For the first time in this storied series, both teams entered the game undefeated and ranked number one and two respectively. In a controversial move, coach Lou Holtz took his 10–0 Irish squad to L.A. without stars Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks, whom he suspended for disciplinary reasons. The USC Trojans were also undefeated under head coach Larry Smith and standout quarterback Rodney Peete. The Irish came into the game as underdogs, but spectacular play of defensive end Frank Stams and cornerback Stan Smagala aided the Irish offense, led by Tony Rice led to an Irish victory. Notre Dame went on to capture the National Championship that year, beating West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. The sellout crowd of 93,829 was the largest in this rivalry since 1955.”

  12. I’m still trying to figure out the difference between Jerry Palm, and my Barber…lol

  13. Even though preseason rankings don’t always carry weight, Notre Dame had enough talent to be ranked like 10th. They have lost all of their games by less than 8 points and have been in every game. This is their bowl game. Beware.

    • ND will bring it. Just like the little gutties brought it too – but soon got worn down by Darnold.

      Darnold wiill wear down the Irish too. Still, I’m very glad we have them in L.A. And just like against ucla, if we fall behind, Darnold will bring us back. That’s just what he does. And then he piles it on. The guy’s a killer.

      • Every QB-especially a Frosh- will have a down game. I hope I am wrong. I just hate when SC loses to ND, The Irish strength is their O-line and I don’t like the 2 down linemen scheme that SC has been running this year. Again, I hope that I am wrong.

  14. I think SC will beat ND and I really believe Utah upsets Colorado and we win the Pac-12 South Title. It is hard to get through this league with just 1 loss in conference play. Colorado is going down.

  15. Last 3 weeks I had Wash St over Colorado followed by them winning apple cup; I had Oregon and Utah even,then Colorado beating utah… I am not so sure cougars are gonna’get those doggies now…and Utah will be as mad as ND after blowing it like last year, so they might beat Colorado,they match up well…

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