#6 USC Trojans -43 (4-1) 3-2 ATS, 1-4 O/U at Washington State Cougars +43 (1-6) 0-6 ATS, 3-2 O/U Saturday, October 18 Martin Stadium (35,117) Pullman, Washington 3:30 p.m. EST
By Wilson of Predictem.com
What can we say about those Cougars of Washington State? Well, unfortunately their season only gets more difficult outside of maybe their annual Apple Cup game against cross-state rival and also struggling, University of Washington.
The Cougars are under the direction of new head coach Paul Wulff who is no doubt frustrated at this point but hey, you cant blame him for all of the Cougars recent collapse. I think there may have been a flaw in previous recruiting years, but hopefully Wulff will weather the storm and work it out. God knows USC will have no problem coming to Pullman and running up the score just like every other team with the exception of Portland State.
WSU lost last week to Oregon State 66-13. Once again the Cougars looked pathetic on both sides of the ball. Cougar QB Marshall Lobbestael injured his ankle in the 4th quarter, and he became the third QB to go down this season for WSU. It was insult to injury as the offense never got going.
The Cougars actually had more penalty yards (170) than total offensive yards (132). The Cougar defense picked off 4 passes but it did not matter as they still gave up 66 points. In total, the Cougars gave up 548 yards to OSU; 323 yards on the ground, and another 225 in the air! Its almost unbelievable that a D-1 program can perform so poorly.
Have you decided which way to place your bets yet? Ah, but hold that thought, as USC had a little trouble last time they visited Pullman, which was two years ago as the #3 team in the nation. The Trojans escaped with a three point win from a field goal late in the game. However, there was a lot more talented and experienced athletes on the field for WSU during that contest.
If you like to gamble on the dog this might be your game as the Cougars are 43 point underdogs. Thats a huge spread, but then again WSU has proven they are capable of losing by more!
WSU QB Kevin Lopina is returning to the line-up this week and maybe that will spark some much needed life into the Cougar offense.
Meanwhile, The USC Trojans are climbing back up the polls and seem to be back to their dominating ways as they shut out Arizona State 28-0 last week. Well, at least their defense is consistent. The Trojans defense is playing lights-out right now, and they are really the main reason why they beat ASU last week.
Trojan QB Mark Sanchez passed for a TD and ran for another, but even he admitted that their offense was horrible. Sanchez was responsible for 3 INTs and only completed 50% of his passes. The entire offense made mistakes throughout the game.
USC running back, Joe McKnight carried the ball 11 times for a career high 143 yards. He was the one shining light on the offense.
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The Trojans are simply over qualified to be in the same league as the Washington State Cougars this season. The Cougars have too many holes everywhere to compete with the Trojans.
Wilsons Pick: Cougar fans might want to enjoy a cold beverage and a Coug Dog in the field house before the game because that will probably be the highlight of your game day experience. Look for USC to have 35 on the board before the 1st half is over. I like USC to roll and cover the 43- ouch! Luck to ya.
