Friday night give number 4 USC and number 12 Utah A chance to shine in the national spotlight as the two meet in a highly anticipated rematch of their regular season Pac-12 Championship game. The Trojans are seeking revenge for a 43-42 loss at Utah from Oct. 15, which remains their only blemish under first-year head coach Lincoln Riley, while the Utes are seeking back-to-back conference titles.
If the Trojans win, they will likely head to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the CFP era. It also marked the Pac-12’s first CFP berth since then Washington He made it to the four-team ballpark in the 2016 season. Utah doesn’t have CFP aspirations, but the Utes will be the first program to repeat as league champions since then. Stanford I did it in 2012-13.
While there is a lot at stake for both teams, there will likely be a third fanbase watching anxiously. It stands to reason that if the Trojan loses, it will be #5 Ohio State He’ll have a chance to vault USC into fourth place in the CFP field when the final standings are revealed on Sunday. The Buckeyes relinquished control of their own destiny when they lost at home to them Michigan last week, so now their hopes lie with a Utah win.
The first meeting between USC and Utah was a classic, and it wouldn’t be surprising if that meeting kicked off as well as the conference championship this weekend.
How to watch USC vs Utah live
Date: Friday 2 December | time: 8 p.m. ET
Site: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas
Television: Fox | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
USC vs. Utah: Need to know
The last time: When the Utes outgained USC in October, the game featured more than 1,100 yards of total offense, including 10 combined touchdowns—seven passing and three rushing—and no interceptions by quarterbacks. It was Cam Rising of Utah who got the last laugh at USC star Caleb Williams. High scored on a 1-yard run with 48 seconds left and then converted a two-point conversion run on the next play to put the Utes ahead. Williams and the Trojans recovered the football for one last chance to get into goal range in the dying seconds but were unable to do so.
USC fell to No. 10 in the AP Top 25 the following day with the margin of error removed in terms of postseason goals. But since then, the Trojans have won five in a row, including victories over ranked foes University of California And the Notre Dame the last two weeks. Since beating USC, Utah’s only loss has been a 20-17 rout at Oregon On November 19th.
Caleb Williams on Heisman: Williams emerged as a favorite for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. The Oklahoma Transfer from Riley to USC has intimidated opponents on the ground and in the air this season. With 34 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions, and another 10 touchdowns on the ground, Williams shows why he’s aligned with the five-star prospect in the class of 2021. Take last week’s performance against Notre Dame, for example. Although he finished with less than 300 yards of total offense in the Trojans’ 38-27 victory, Williams single-handedly kept several plays alive thanks to his improvisation and dribbling and totaled four touchdowns while guiding his team to a big win.
dangerous: This is the third time USC has appeared in the Pac-12 Championship Game since the league began hosting one in the 2011 season. But the stakes have never been higher for the Trojans. When USC played Stanford in the 2015 Pac-12 Championship Game, the Trojans had already lost four games and were out of the CFP picture. They lost 41-22 and ended up in the Holiday Bowl on their way to a final mark of 8-6. In 2017, USC was 10-2 and without a realistic path to the CFP when it beat Stanford 31-28 and ended up losing to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
USC vs. Utah prospects, picks
Featured game | USC Trojans vs. Utah Utes
USC had to grind for a 38-27 victory over Notre Dame last week while Utah slipped to an easy win in Colorado. In a short week and in a match between two equal teams, wear and tear can be a factor. Utah won the first meeting by a point on Oct. 15, and has experience at this point as the Pac-12 champion. While beating the same team twice in one season can be tough, Utah did just that last season against Oregon. The Utes can do it again as they face a USC team that remains shaky defensively and overly relies on an uncanny ability to force turnovers. Prediction: Utah +3
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