USC v Utah

USC vs Utah on the road in one of the best fan bases in the country. Hence, it's going to be loud and proud that will amp up both teams come kickoff. Utah is coming off a puzzling loss to UCLA as they clearly were, at the time, considered the top of the PAC-10. No typo there. But something happened on their return to the Rose Bowl. They ran into a team that is probably playing at the top of college football today. The buzz saw that commenced was shocking but not to UCLA's coaching staff. Utah was in disbelief as many fans thought they would beat UCLA in the Rose.

What's the old saying? This is why we play the games. USC is flying to Utah. Not a place they have a lot of fond memories, but like OSU on the road, this team is focused on ending the curses that have followed the team for the past few years, if not decades. This years Trojans are improving every month in the key areas needed most. The offense is off the charts, stacked, and ready. Tweaks here and there to constantly improve, but it's the O Line and Defense in general that has surprised.

The best thing that happened to USC was the past Saturday battle with a good WSU Cougar team. Their defensive line was physical and active, so the offensive line clearly got a taste of what's coming in Utah Saturday. Tune-ups are key, and this one was timed perfectly. Coach Riley and the staff have this team completely bought in. The adjustments that are clearly game to game are resulting in cultural change around the program, and for the first time when the first half of each game ends, I, for one, believe they will correct whatever needs to be corrected. This may sound trivial, but to many who have followed the Trojans for the past 12 years know this was never going to occur under the previous head coach.

This game should be a fan game. This game should be smash-mouth trench warfare on both sides. Seasoned QB desperately wants to prove he belongs in Cam, and Caleb wanting to get those 40-point games back on track. The gamblers are unsure as to the forecast here and are changing numbers daily. This tells me the game is one to record on your DVR as it will be a game to watch over and over.

Fight On #BeatUtah