Unleashing the Quack Attack: How the Ducks Plan to Silence the Trojans’ Roar

So here we are, staring down another tantalizing clash in college football — USC versus Oregon at 3:30 ET. Last week, I split my picks, going 1-1, which kinda fits the wobbly rhythm I’ve had lately. Started strong, cooled off, and now I’m wondering if luck is just playing a cruel joke or if my crystal ball’s got a crack in it. But back to this matchup—USC’s quietly grinding at 8-2 and ranked 17th, yet barely causing a ripple in the chatter. Is it just me, or is everyone sleeping on the Trojans because the playoffs might be out of reach? Meanwhile, Oregon’s sitting pretty at 9-1, boasting a defense that practically dares offenses to even try scoring. It’s the classic “can underdog surprise or will the favorite steamroll?” dilemma. And hey, with the betting line already jumping by five, something tells me this one’s gonna keep us guessing. Ready to dive in? LEARN MORE.

USC vs. Oregon, 3:30 ET

I was just 1-1 last week, which is somewhat normal for the last month. I started the season with a hot streak, and am still profitable for the year, but I’ve cooled off a bit. Some games have been bad luck, some have been fortunate, but this last week was not really a sweat on either side. We coasted in the win with Notre Dame, and we got destroyed by the Georgia Bulldogs as they handed branded the Longhorns. This week, we have a solid matchup between some ranked teams as USC takes on Oregon.

The later we get into seasons, the more ranked matchups we tend to get. I suppose that’s a great idea from the schedule makers because teams can figure things out against easy opponents, then they can battle against tough ones. USC, in my opinion, has kind of flown under the radar this season. They are 8-2 and 6-1 in Big 10 play, and they are ranked 17th in the nation, but it feels like no one is talking about them. I partially wonder if that’s because they don’t have a great, or maybe realistic, shot at making it to the playoffs. I took the Trojans in their loss to Notre Dame, but looking back on it, it was certainly a mistake. I can say that with ease now because of the result, but I think it is also fairly clear that the Fighting Irish are substantially better than the Trojans. There are levels of how good certain teams are, and the Trojans are a tier below the College Football Playoff group. They probably will end up playing against a team like Texas in a good Bowl game. Their other loss on the season was also on the road, to a ranked opponent, as they fell 34-32 to Illinois. They’ve beaten Michigan and Iowa, both ranked at the time of play, so it isn’t like they can’t compete with good teams, but both of those were home games.

The Oregon Ducks still have a very good chance to make the College Football Playoffs. For the season, the Ducks are 9-1, with their only loss coming at home against Indiana. I’d be a bit surprised to see them make some noise regardless of if they make it into the bracket or not. They have a good offense, and they have been able to rack up points on both the ground and through the air, but I’m not sold that this team is all that special on offense. Their defense has been very good, holding every opponent except Indiana to 24 points or fewer. In most cases, it is under 16 points. Their two games where they allowed more than 20 points, one game against Penn State that they won on the road in double-overtime 30-24. The other was against Indiana when they allowed 30 points at home and lost 30-20. Even if Indiana loses, I think because of the tie-breaker, Indiana would still get a chance to play Ohio State for the Big 10 Championship, so in the grand scheme of things, this game only means something for staying in the College Playoff picture.

This should be an entertaining game. You can probably tell that by the point total that moved up five points almost instantly from the opening line. At the time of this writing, the Ducks are favored by 10.5 points, and I think that’s a number they can easily cover. The defense for their team has been so good. I don’t think that USC is going to have some sort of magical way to go into Oregon and run up the scoreboard. Will they get over 16 like only two other teams have done? Potentially, but I wouldn’t really count on it. The USC team total is 24.5. I’ll back the under.

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