TB Bryce Love rushed for 160 yards and a TD on ... an ailing ankle, he's the center- piece of ... WR Jordan Lasley, UCLA
this week in the INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPiLeD BY PAtRiCk steVens, sPeCiAL tO GAtehOUse MeDiA
PAC-12 ChAMPiOnshiP NO. 11 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (10-2, 8-1 PAC-12) vS. NO. 14 STANFORD (9-3, 7-2)
When: 5 p.m. PST Friday Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif. TV: ESPN
Chance meeting
POweR RAnkinGs Breaking down the Pac-12 1. Southern California (10-2): The Trojans are an extreme longshot to garner any serious playoff consideration even with a victory in the Pac-12 title game, but a triumph probably does secure a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. (Last week: 1) 2. Stanford (9-3): The Cardinal has taken down the last six top-10 teams to visit Palo Alto, including two in the last three weeks (Washington and Notre Dame). Stanford heads to the Pac-12 title game for the fourth time under David Shaw. (LW: 3) 3. Washington (10-2): It wasn’t the season the Huskies dreamed of, but there was nothing disappointing about their blowout of Washington State on the final day of the regular season. Next up is a bowl trip at a destination to be determined this weekend. (LW: 4) 4. Washington State (9-3): The Jekylland-Hyde Cougars continued their road struggles, dropping their third game away from Pullman. Lopsided loss to California and Washington were especially ugly. (LW: 2) 5. Oregon (7-5): If Justin Herbert remains healthy, the Ducks probably have an extra victory this season. That alone accounts for the placement above Arizona State. (LW: 5) 6. Arizona State (7-5): The Sun Devils pulled the plug on Todd Graham’s tenure despite improving over last season and defeating Arizona in the Territorial Cup. The welltraveled Graham will stick around for the bowl game. (LW: 7) 7. Arizona (7-5): November was a letdown after Khalil Tate’s electrifying October, but the Wildcats are still in a much better place than they were at this time last year. (LW: 6) 8. Utah (6-6): Got to a bowl game by demolishing Colorado, but the entire season felt every bit as average as the record indicates. (LW: 8)
USC quarterback Sam Darnold drops back to pass during a game against Colorado Nov. 11 in Boulder, Colo. [DAvID
ZALUBOWSKI/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]
Win over Cardinal would keep slight CFP hopes alive for USC KEYS FOR USC Balanced attack. The Trojans won the first meeting between the teams — a 42-24 triumph in Los Angeles all the way back on Sept. 9 — in large part because they could both run and throw with great effect against the Cardinal. TBs Stephen Carr and Ronald Jones II both had 100yard days and QB Sam Darnold threw for 316 yards and four TDs. Stanford is unlikely to yield 600 total yards again, but the Trojans still need both the run and the pass this time around. Rested and ready. The Trojans had one obvious flaw in their regular-season schedule: No open date. Southern Cal played 12 consecutive weekends without a break, but the upshot was it got Thanksgiving weekend off. Now, that schedule quirk has turned into an advantage. While Southern Cal should be rested, Stanford
faces a quick turnaround after playing Saturday night. If the Trojans are sharp, the extra time off should be an asset. KEYS FOR STANFORD Love conquers all. Even in the Cardinal’s lopsided loss at Southern Cal earlier this season, TB Bryce Love rushed for 160 yards and a TD on 17 carries. For the year, he has 1,848 yards (8.6 yards an attempt) and 16 TDs on the ground for the Cardinal, and even as he continues to deal with an ailing ankle, he’s the centerpiece of Stanford’s offense. If he can break loose a couple times for long runs, the Cardinal’s chance of winning skyrockets. Takeaway time. Stanford ranks fourth in the country in per-game turnover margin (plus-1.17, or plus-14 overall), and even in its loss to the Trojans earlier this season it managed to pick off Darnold twice.
Darnold has 24 TDs against 12 interceptions on the season, solid enough but nearly as efficient as last season. If Stanford can flummox the sophomore and create some favorable field position, it would go a long way to securing a league title. PREDICTION Southern California 28-24. The winner of this game is all but ticketed for the Fiesta Bowl at this stage, and the Trojans are seeking to become the first Pac-12 South team to win the league championship since the game was added in 2011. Stanford is not the same team it was when it lost to Southern Cal and San Diego State in consecutive weeks in September, but the Trojans are better, too, and have the benefit of rest. This will be closer, but the edge still goes to Clay Helton’s team.
stAt OF the week
59
Point margin for Oregon in its 69-10 rout of Oregon State. The Ducks had already surpassed the previous Civil War record for margin of victory (44) by halftime and also broke the series record for points against the Beavers.
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9. UCLA (6-6): The Bruins not only earned bowl eligibility behind backup QB Devon Modster, but they won the Chip Kelly sweepstakes. No one can say UCLA doesn’t care about football after handing Kelly $23 million over five years. (LW: 10) 10. California (5-7): No bowl game for the Golden Bears, but TB Patrick Laird finished the season with five 100-yard rushing days in his last six games. He and Ross Bowers could give Cal a fine backfield tandem in 2018. (LW: 9) 11. Colorado (5-7): From playing in the Pac-12 title game to arguably being worse over a full season than everyone in the Pac-12 besides Oregon State, it was a sobering 12-month journey for the Buffaloes. (LW: 11) 12. Oregon State (1-11): The Beavers joined Kansas as the only power conference teams without a victory against an FBS school this season. Not good. (LW: 12)
stARs OF the week • QB K.J. Costello, Stanford (left): Threw for 176 yards and four TDs as the Cardinal ran past Notre Dame for its eighth win in the last nine games. • TB Myles Gaskin, Washington: Rumbled for 192 yards and four TDs on 25 carries to help the Huskies blast Washington State in the Apple Cup. • WR Jordan Lasley, UCLA: Caught 12 passes for 227 yards and a TD to help the Bruins turn back California and secure bowl eligibility. • TB Zack Moss, Utah: Rushed 26 times for 196 yards and two TDs to lead the Utes past Colorado to secure bowl eligiblity.
