We asked our Pac-12 football panel about the odds of Utah beating USC this weekend.
Here are the panel’s responses:
Matt Zemek: “45 percent, even without Cam Rising. We all saw Notre Dame’s defensive line dominate USC’s offensive line. If Notre Dame can win by 28 points on a day when its offense managed only 253 yards, Utah can certainly win outright in the Coliseum — not by 28, but by three or four points. Utah can and probably will muck this game up, making it ugly and rugged. USC is unlikely to win in a blowout. Yet, not having Rising will make it hard for Utah to actually win the game. Still: It’s close to a toss-up. Only a slight lean to the Trojans here.”
Zachary Neel: “This is more of a coin-flip game to me, but I currently have USC beating Utah. I think that the Utes’ offense is weak enough that the Trojans’ defense will actually be able to look serviceable this week. I expect a bounce-back from Caleb Williams against a solid Utah defense.”
Matt Wadleigh: “I had Utah beating USC at the start of the year, but without Cam Rising, this team is much different. I’ll give Utah a 20% chance to beat USC.”
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