USC is sitting at No. 6 in the latest CFP rankings, but the Trojans are in a good spot with games against Notre Dame on Saturday, with Oregon potentially still to come. Wins over those ranked teams could be enough to get the Trojans into the CFP.
It won’t be easy, though. Notre Dame has been playing well and while USC is winning games, the Trojans aren’t blowing teams out. Three of USC’s last four wins have come by eight points or less. That bodes well for Notre Dame, which is strong defensively and can bleed the clock with a rushing attack that puts up 191 yards per game.
I expect the Fighting Irish to come out and bully the Trojans as they did when they ran over Clemson, one of the top defenses in the country, for 263 yards. That’s bad news for a USC defense that ranks 60th against the run and just allowed 204 rushing yards to UCLA.
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USC’s offense has been a machine all season long and I don’t expect Notre Dame to shut it down. The Irish, however, rank 17th in total defense and held high-powered Ohio State to just 21 points this season.
I see another close game for USC. Notre Dame matches up well and if the Irish can get the ground game going early, they should stay within the number.
The pick: Notre Dame +5.5.
INDIANA (+10.5) over Purdue
We have an interesting situation brewing in this game. I bet Purdue to win the Big Ten West and while the Boilermakers are still alive, Minnesota did them no favors by blowing its game against Iowa last Saturday. If Minnesota had won, Purdue would have controlled its own destiny. Instead, Purdue needs to beat Indiana. The Boilermakers were given a big boost Friday when Iowa lost 24-17 at home to Nebraska on Friday as a 10-point favorite.
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This is a rivalry game, so even though Indiana has had a tough season, the Hoosiers will still be up emotionally to beat Purdue.
Indiana also plays much better at home than on the road. I like the Hoosiers catching 10 or more and I think Indiana is live on the moneyline as well.
Last week: N/A.
Season: 19-16-1.
