Alex Dunlap (1-1)
I can't peg this team as one that is going to step up against an increased level of competition and come out victorious. I hope I am wrong, but continuing to give this team the benefit of the doubt feels like the definition of insanity. The 2018 iteration of the USC Trojans is certainly beatable so the game will be close. Texas has to show it can start to learn to win before it'll get many picks on its side from me in matchups that appear really close on paper.
USC 28 - Texas 20
Geoff Ketchum (1-1)
For the last two weeks, Texas has looked like a 5-7 or 6-6 type team in the making, which means that if they are going to beat USC this weekend, the quality of play must be elevated ... period. Yet, I'm not sure that Texas needs to be elite to beat USC, it just needs to be better than slightly above average. The question is whether Texas can pull that off, especially against a team that brings major inexperience at the quarterback position? Ultimately, I think the answer is yes. In what I expect to be a game that is a cross between what both teams were able to do a week ago and the match-up between the two teams a season ago, I expect the Longhorns to find a way to win an ugly, defensive-minded game. It won't be the kind of sexy watch that stays on the DVR forever, but you won't delete right after the game, either.
Texas 17 - USC 14
Dustin McComas (1-1)
USC and Texas are pretty similar. Both teams have a better defense than offense. Both teams have an unproven young quarterback with offensive lines that can make life difficult for those quarterbacks. Both have a similar S&P+ overall ranking with Texas checking in at No. 42 and USC No. 48.
At home, I'll take the Longhorns in what will probably be an ugly, low-scoring game, especially if weather is a factor, with just enough big plays to make it interesting. In its first big test, the UT offensive line will have moments of uneasiness, but will hold its own, which will allow for enough offense. I expect Todd Orlando to unleash the blitzing against freshman JT Daniels, and UT will generate a lot more pressure than it has in any other game this season.
Texas 29 - USC 23
Anwar Richardson (1-1)
This is the kind of game Texas should win. The first two games were disappointing. Fans are questioning where the program is headed. It is a huge recruiting weekend. Things are starting to look bad. What does that mean?
Hello, Texas victory.
I don’t think it will be pretty, but I think Texas is going to pull off the upset, and there is no way a true freshman quarterback is going to come into DKR and get the best of Todd Orlando and this defense. Instead, I think Sam Ehlinger will elevate his game on the big stage.
Now, I don’t know if the wind will jumpstart greater success, but I believe the electric home crowd will provide this team with enough juice to beat USC.
Texas 24 - USC 17
Jason Suchomel (1-1)
I’ve been thinking all week that surely Texas is a better team than we’ve seen in the first two weeks, right? Things have to come together at some point, don’t they? My gut tells me the Longhorns are a much better team than what they’ve shown against Maryland and Tulsa, but I can’t bring myself to fully buy in … common sense tells me this could be a team that hovers around the .500 mark over the course of the year. I’m not sold on USC either, on either side of the ball, and with Texas getting the Trojans in Austin, I think the Longhorns make enough plays to get the job done.
Texas 28 – USC 24
QUARTER (2-0)
I can't peg this team as one that is going to step up against an increased level of competition and come out victorious. I hope I am wrong, but continuing to give this team the benefit of the doubt feels like the definition of insanity. The 2018 iteration of the USC Trojans is certainly beatable so the game will be close. Texas has to show it can start to learn to win before it'll get many picks on its side from me in matchups that appear really close on paper.
USC 28 - Texas 20
Geoff Ketchum (1-1)
For the last two weeks, Texas has looked like a 5-7 or 6-6 type team in the making, which means that if they are going to beat USC this weekend, the quality of play must be elevated ... period. Yet, I'm not sure that Texas needs to be elite to beat USC, it just needs to be better than slightly above average. The question is whether Texas can pull that off, especially against a team that brings major inexperience at the quarterback position? Ultimately, I think the answer is yes. In what I expect to be a game that is a cross between what both teams were able to do a week ago and the match-up between the two teams a season ago, I expect the Longhorns to find a way to win an ugly, defensive-minded game. It won't be the kind of sexy watch that stays on the DVR forever, but you won't delete right after the game, either.
Texas 17 - USC 14
Dustin McComas (1-1)
USC and Texas are pretty similar. Both teams have a better defense than offense. Both teams have an unproven young quarterback with offensive lines that can make life difficult for those quarterbacks. Both have a similar S&P+ overall ranking with Texas checking in at No. 42 and USC No. 48.
At home, I'll take the Longhorns in what will probably be an ugly, low-scoring game, especially if weather is a factor, with just enough big plays to make it interesting. In its first big test, the UT offensive line will have moments of uneasiness, but will hold its own, which will allow for enough offense. I expect Todd Orlando to unleash the blitzing against freshman JT Daniels, and UT will generate a lot more pressure than it has in any other game this season.
Texas 29 - USC 23
Anwar Richardson (1-1)
This is the kind of game Texas should win. The first two games were disappointing. Fans are questioning where the program is headed. It is a huge recruiting weekend. Things are starting to look bad. What does that mean?
Hello, Texas victory.
I don’t think it will be pretty, but I think Texas is going to pull off the upset, and there is no way a true freshman quarterback is going to come into DKR and get the best of Todd Orlando and this defense. Instead, I think Sam Ehlinger will elevate his game on the big stage.
Now, I don’t know if the wind will jumpstart greater success, but I believe the electric home crowd will provide this team with enough juice to beat USC.
Texas 24 - USC 17
Jason Suchomel (1-1)
I’ve been thinking all week that surely Texas is a better team than we’ve seen in the first two weeks, right? Things have to come together at some point, don’t they? My gut tells me the Longhorns are a much better team than what they’ve shown against Maryland and Tulsa, but I can’t bring myself to fully buy in … common sense tells me this could be a team that hovers around the .500 mark over the course of the year. I’m not sold on USC either, on either side of the ball, and with Texas getting the Trojans in Austin, I think the Longhorns make enough plays to get the job done.
Texas 28 – USC 24
QUARTER (2-0)
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