Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC Football Picks

Written December 31, 2008 by Jason Lowry

USC Penn State Football

The biggest game of New Years day has the No.5 ranked USC Trojans taking on the No. 6 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl. Both teams finished the season winner’s of their division and were likely just 1 win away from playing for the BCS National Championship. The Nittany Lions took home the Big 10 title, but a 23-24 loss on the road to Iowa ruined this teams shot at a perfect season. The Trojans slipped up a little earlier in the season, as they once again fell on the road to Oregon State 21-27 in just their 3rd game of the season. Thanks to an Oregon State loss to Oregon in the final game of the regular season, the Trojans were able to sneak back into first and take home the Pac 10 title and the coveted spot in the Rose Bowl. For those of you looking to do a little NCAA football betting on this one, the oddsmakers have USC 9 point favorites over Penn State at Sportsbook.com.

The Trojans have one of the more balanced offensive attacks in the country, as they come in not only averaging 206 yards on the ground, they add another 247 through the air. This has led to the Trojans scoring 37.5 points a game this season, and a big reason for that is the play of All-Pac 10 quarterback Mark Sanchez, who threw for 2,794 yards with a solid 30 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. The Trojans are loaded with playmakers in both the receiving and running game, as Sanchez has guys like Damian Williams and Patrick Turner to throw to on the outside, while a trio of Joe McKnight, Stafon Johnson, and C.J. Gable have to share duties in the running game, and each responded with over 600 yards rushing.

The Trojans defense is very fast and all that speed has led to arguably the best defense statistically in the nation, as the Trojans are giving up a nations best 7.8 points per game and allowing opposing teams just 206 total yards of offense. While only allowing 83 yards a game on the ground is good, the fact that this defense allows just 123 yards a game through the air is not good if you are an opposing quarterback. There are a number of guys that we could mention to keep an eye on in this one, but All-American linebacker Rey Maualuga is the focus point of this defense, and the reason they are as good as they are on this side of the ball. Bet USC Trojans -9 at Sportsbook.com.

As for the Nittany Lions they are pretty comparable to the Trojans in nearly all aspects of the game, and while they might not have the big name players like the Trojans the Nittany Lions still averaged a very impressive 40 points a game this season, and were very balanced when it came to where this team beat you,as they averaged 211 yards a game on the ground and another 240 through the air. Leading this team is quarterback Daryll Clark who completed 60% of his attempts this season for 2,319 yards with 17 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. The Nittany Lions also have solid threats on the outside in Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood, with Butler leading the way with 43 catches for 713 yards and 7 touchdowns. In the running game the Lions look to Evan Royster for the bulk of the carries, as Royster ran it 185 times for 1,202 yards and a very impressive 6.5 yards per carry to go along with his 12 touchdowns.

The Nittany Lions are only giving up 12.4 points a game on the defensive side of things, and mere 264 yards of total offense. Just like the Trojans the Nittany Lions are great against the run giving up just 96 yards a game, and are excellent against the pass giving up just 168 yards a game. The guy to watch on this side of the ball is All-American defensive end Aaron Maybin whose 12 sacks and 19 tackles for loss were tops on a defense full of great talent. The key for the Nittany Lions is stopping the big plays, as the Trojans speed makes them a threat to go all the way on any given play. Bet Penn State Nittany Lions +9 at Sportsbook.com.

Lowry’s Lean on the Game: Penn State +9
I don’t know if the Nittany Lions are going to be able to pull off the upset and take home the win in this one, but I don’t see them losing by more than 9 points in what has all the makings of a defensive showdown. I expect this game to come down to the wire with USC likely winning on a field goal late.

Predicted Score: USC 23 Penn State 21

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