Card Tricks Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Seeing as how this game kicks off at 5pm tomorrow, I figured it was probably start a thread about it. In case anyone cared. My take on how this one's gonna go: Let's start with the bad- Stanford's coming into this game very banged up on the D-line and that's been a weakness for the Cardinal all year. Every single defensive unit is playing better than it did when they first played USC. But part of the turnaround on the D-line was due to Cotton stepping up and becoming a solid #2 guy next to Phillips. Without him (torn achilles against ND), we're down to Dylan Jackson (a late bloomer who has yet to bloom) and Jovan Swann (great quickness and motor but not seasoned enough to make much of an impact). When those guys inevitably get gassed, it's up to Mike Williams and Thomas Schaffer to pick up the slack. And that's when Stanford's in serious trouble. Offensively, I feel much better about Stanford's chances than I do defensively. Their O-line is so much more seasoned than it was down at the Coliseum and if Walker Little is healthy and ready to go, they've got a semi-elite left tackle who wasn't even starting the first time around. On top of that, Bryce Love is about as healthy as he's been since injuring his ankle in October and still has the necessary speed to burn defenses. And then there's Costello. Can't say enough about this guy. But what I will say is these are the types of games this kid gets up for. Throw in the fact that there's a personal storyline for him in this contest (grew up rooting for the Trojans, didn't get a crack at them the first time around) and we may very well see an even better performance out of him than what we saw against Notre Dame. To me, this game comes down to how often Stanford can manage to get USC off the field on third down. That starts with having better success on first and second down. Back in September, the Cardinal were absolutely atrocious at holding the Trojans to limited success in the early downs. RoJo and Stephen Carr easily ripped them for 4-5 yard gains to the point where the Trojans we're always seemingly in 3rd and short situations. At that point, it's pick your poison trying to stop them. If Stanford can somehow limit their success with better linebacker play (REALLY wishing they had a healthy Joey Alfieri out on the edge) then the task becomes somewhat achievable. But even in 3rd and long situations, Darnold is going to become a handful to contain. What scares me is what happens if USC keep moving the sticks and sustaining long drives all game long. Stanford's defense will get worn down by the 4th to the point where if we find themselves in a one-score game trying to preserve a lead, I doubt they'll have anything left in the tank to stop them. In the end, I expect our guys will be fired up and give USC a heck of a game. There may even be times where they look like the better team. But Sam Darnold is an incredible talent and despite his turnover issues through large stretches of the season, he seems to have a propensity to step up on the biggest stages. Costello, meanwhile, is an absolute gamer and plays with a lot of emotion. In a game like this, however, I'm worried that may not be a good thing. When Stanford beat USC in the 2015 Pac-12 Championship, it was Kevin Hogan's calm and collectedness that won us the game (specifically, this play comes to mind). I can easily see Costello's fired up demeanor working against him in a situation like this, perhaps pressing to make a play and committing a costly turnover when the easy completion was there for him to make. And in a close game like this, which I very much anticipate, it's those little mistakes that make all the difference. Hoping I'm wrong but until proven otherwise, USC is still the team to beat in the Pac-12 and for good reason. Simply put- if Stanford does end up winning their 4th Pac-12 title in six years, they'll have definitely earned it. 35-34 *USC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Three things to add: 1) I hope that Pac-12 officials don’t make this a ref-show. 2) Wilner and others ive seen predict both teams scoring in the 20s. I could easily seeing this becoming a shootout where both defenses just can’t stop the big plays. 3) Will Sam Darnold be able to control the turnovers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mano Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 Hate that this is a Friday game. It is bad enough that USC has a bye the week before, but Stanford has to play on a short week. This game should be played on a Saturday, not a Friday, it is for the freaking conference championship, not an exhibition against an FCS team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All Hail Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 My work decided it would be a great idea to have our Christmas/Holiday Party this Friday. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Biggest PreGame News: Full Alcohol Sales Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 They’re not showing the controversial replays within the stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin 70 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 These refs suck. They are ruining the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin 70 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 What a ref clown show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 so.much.stoppage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin 70 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Terrible coaching decisions. by Stanford. They deserve to lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin 70 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Really go for it on fourth. The onside kick with 2:30 thus the Trojans are champs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chile_Ute Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Congrats Trojan fans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utenation Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 9 hours ago, Chile_Ute said: Congrats Trojan fans I second that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KUGRDON Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Way to go SCSCSC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Thanks — i give a lot of credit to Stanford for not ever making it easy. There haven’t been a lot of highlights to this season so it’s kind of hard to process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Card Tricks Posted December 2, 2017 Author Share Posted December 2, 2017 56 minutes ago, Scscsc89 said: Thanks — i give a lot of credit to Stanford for not ever making it easy. There haven’t been a lot of highlights to this season so it’s kind of hard to process. Or at least not making it as easy as it was last time, where the game never really felt in doubt after midway through the 3rd quarter. Congrats, SCSCSC. Even in a loss, I can still appreciate everything this rivalry has given us the past ten years. There's been some great ones and I'm sure this one will rank right up there with the best of them. Your ability to make plays when the game mattered most and our inability to do the same in those situations were the difference last night. At the end of the day, however, I have zero problems with this loss- you guys were clearly the best team in the Pac-12 this season and that certainly was the case again last night. So congrats on your first championship in eight years and go make the best of it by kicking Ohio State/Wisconsin's ass in the Fiesta Bowl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mano Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Congrats to the men of troy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pac12Fan Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 This game must be moved out of Santa Clara. I see the Big 12, SEC, Big 10 and ACC title games with packed houses. Our championship game had over 30,000 empty seats. Makes our conference look weak. We know Stanford fans are pathetic and can’t fill their small stadium even in good years but to play USC next to your campus should warrant a sold out stadium. The game should be moved to Vegas or San Diego immediately. More fans will travel to these two cities over the Bay Area and the overpriced Santa Clara. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scscsc89 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 I bet not but it doesn’t really matter — it’s about TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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