Stanford vs. USC, sounds like a route to me? Well, maybe not. It’s the Cardinal’s last actual tune-up before their epic clash with the Oregon Ducks on November 12th. Forget Oregon St, they’ll roll over them.
No, the real reason I choose this Pac-12 contest for BHGP is the NFL Draft implications! I’m a draftnik, a mock nerd, so when I see the top pick in the draft taking on the #2 QB! Not to mention there’s at least two, maybe 3-4 more prospects in the this game that could go in the top ten-twenty, let the fun begin!
Stanford Cardinal (7-0, 3-0) Analysis:
Halfway through the season and Stanford QB supreme/BMOC Andrew Luck is seeing his draft stock remain just as high as it was last spring. He’s told the media how dumb he believes the “suck for Luck” campaign is. Are NFL teams are really even intentionally sucking in order to take the most sought after signal caller in college football?.
Maybe. We explored this concept back in the offseason. Here’s our initial study in June. But a lot has changed since then so let’s look at who’s in the race for the #1 pick in the NFL Draft derby.
And then we’ll see where everything else shakes out, by clicking my mock draft.
Keep on eye on Stanford offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David Decastro; both look like first-rounders. And watch tight end Colby Fleener, who may slip into the first round of the draft.
USC Trojans (6-1, 2-1) Analysis:
The USC Trojans have two underclassmen (QB Matt Barkley and OT Matt Kalil) who look like top 10 picks in the 2011 draft. And they have a sophomore (WR Robert Woods) who should be a top pick in the 2012 draft. Given all the sanctions USC is under, and their current place in the college football landscape, it’s pretty obvious that all Trojan underclassmen with a legit chance of going pro early; will. (Learn more about all three here)
Fresh off their solid 30-17 win at Notre Dame. It was a great chance for the upper midwest to see these three blue chip prospects in action. And given how much the game meant to ND, it ended up being the biggest win of Lane Kiffin‘s USC career.
“You get the sense that this was their Super Bowl here, and all of the official visitors and moving it to a night game, the bye before. So it’s even more pleasing to come in here with all of that stuff going on around and our players played really well,” Kiffin said at the postgame press conference.
The men of Troy basically took whatever last remaining shreds of BcS hopes/dreams and crushed them into tiny little pieces. If USC beat them, imagine what Stanford will do to them?
We know you want to click this (SFW) USC Song girls in bikinis at their annual swim event
From Gridiron Goddess:
If USC can win games with the Matt Barkley to Robert Woods play alone, the offense doesn’t look bad. Seriously. In fact, both the QB and the WR set USC records last Saturday afternoon. (in reference to the win over Minnesota) Woods caught a school-record 17 passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns, breaking a record formerly held by Trojan Great Johnnie Morton.
Most Receptions in a Single Game – USC All-Time
Robert Woods | 17 | Sat. |
Johnnie Morton | 15 | 1993 |
John Jackson | 14 | 1989 |
Jeff Simmons | 11 | 1982* |
Fred Hill | 11 | 1964 |
*2 games |
(Are you as surprised as I am that Mike Williams, Keary Colbert, Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, etc aren’t on that list?)
Prediction to be taken with an entire truckload of salt, not a grain of salt: Stanford 49, USC 14 (2010-11 prediction record 33-14)
No contest. ‘SC has the hotter cheerleaders, and Stanford the smarter students. Likewise the Trojans have a signal caller who might have better physical measurables, but “The Farm” has the more complete passer, leader and player. Luck be an Andrew tonight, and every casino should feel “Lucky” about who the Heisman front-runner is.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio shows all across the world. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.