Texas Longhorns vs. USC Trojans Preview
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
When: Saturday, September 16, 2017, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Texas Longhorns (+17) at USC Trojans (-17) – view all 2017 NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
College Football News and Previews
- Ohio State vs. Rutgers NCAA Football Preview - September 30, 2017
- Clemson vs. Virginia Tech NCAA Football Preview - September 30, 2017
- Arizona State vs. Stanford NCAA Football Preview - September 30, 2017
Betting on the Texas Longhorns (1-1)
After losing in Week 1’s 51-41 shootout versus Maryland, the Texas Longhorns bounced back in a tremendous way this past Saturday with a 56-0 beat-down of the San Jose State Spartans.
Texas nabbed its first shutout victory since 2014 thanks to the stellar play of backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger. The freshman, who went 15-of-27 for 222 passing yards and a touchdown in the win over the Spartans, appears poised to lead his team once more should starter Shane Beuchele (bruised shoulder) be unable to suit up in Week 3.
Head coach Tom Herman has a happy problem at hand with his team’s QB situation, as both Ehlinger and Beuchele (375 passing yards for two TDs in Week 1) appear competent enough in leading the offense. Even the Longhorns’ running game looks sharp as well, with lead back Chris Warren III having just amassed 166 rushing yards and two scores against San Jose State.
However, Texas may be in for a reality check this coming Saturday going up against a true national-title contender in USC. What makes the trip to SoCal more intimidating is that the team hasn’t been getting things done on the road these past couple of seasons, finishing both the 2015 and 2016 campaigns with identical 1-5 records away from the Lone Star State for a combined record of 2-8 straight-up and against the spread.
Betting on the USC Trojans (2-0)
As concerning as Texas’ offensive bursts are early this season, the No. 4 USC Trojans have just enough firepower themselves to counter their opponents in Week 3.
The Trojans exhibited their offensive prowess once again in Week 2 with a convincing 42-24 win over their conference rivals in the 14th-ranked Stanford Cardinal for their 11th-straight win dating back to last season and at least 40 points scored over their last four games. They’ve even gone a rather superb 8-3 against the spread during that 11-game win streak.
Quarterback Sam Darnold had another solid outing, completing 21 of his 26 passes against Stanford for 316 yards and four touchdowns. On the other hand, two of his five incompletions during last Saturday’s game resulted into interceptions, giving the Trojans two turnovers in each of their first two games of 2017.
Although USC’s turnovers raise some red flags, the team still packs enough heat on the attack to offset their blunders. In addition, the Trojans just held the Cardinal’s supposedly prolific running game to just 170 rushing yards, which means their front seven can just as easily contain Texas’ rushing attack this coming Saturday and focus on pressuring either of the Longhorns’ QBs into some crucial errors.
Writer’s Prediction
The Trojans (-17) humble the visiting Longhorns, 43-21.
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