Colorado made its big Week 1 statement against TCU, a message which reverberated throughout the Pac-12 Conference in this final football season for the league. That USC-Colorado game on September 30 just became a lot bigger.
We asked our Pac-12 football panel, “How worried should USC be about Colorado?”
Matt Wadleigh, Trojans and Buffaloes Wire: Again, USC shouldn’t be very worried. The Trojans’ defense might give up 50 points to the Buffs or more, but Caleb Williams and this offense can easily score 60-plus.
Zachary Neel, Ducks Wire: USC should be just as worried about Colorado as Oregon is — not much. Colorado’s defense has zero chance of stopping Bo Nix or Caleb Williams.
Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire: This game is in Boulder, so it could get very tricky for the Trojans, but on the other hand, Colorado playing Oregon the previous week might leave the Buffs a little drained for USC. The Trojans play Arizona State the week before this game, so they should be fresher. Yet, USC’s defense under Alex Grinch is never a sure thing. On a scale of 1 to 10, USC’s “fear meter” should be a 6.5 or 7.
Check out our Pac-12 football predictions roundtable for the 2023 season.