USC Trojans (2-0) vs. Washington Huskies (1-1)
Saturday, September 19, 12:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: USC -18.5
*AllPac10 Game of the Week*

Sam’s Take (14 – 4):

This is the first big conference game of the 2009 Pac-10 season (no offense WSU/Stanford), and it should be a fun one. I admit this game was not circled on my calendar before the season started, but the Huskies remarkable progress under Steve Sarkisian has been one of the major storylines in the conference so far in 2009.

UW seems to be improving by the day, and USC is the ultimate measuring stick for any Pac-10 team. For the Trojans, this is the second of many tricky road games on their 2009 schedule, but no team is better equipped to win on the road (as we saw last week). Saturday’s game really should be a blast (especially if Husky Stadium is rocking like it was for LSU).

There are plenty of interesting questions worth asking as this game approaches. Will either coaching staff have an edge considering the familiarity that exists between the two? Will Jake Locker continue to play at an all-conference level in this game (42-70 for 574 yards passing, 5 TDs and 1 INT so far this season)? Will SC have a letdown after the exciting comeback against the Buckeyes? How will Matt Barkley (questionable) perform in yet another hostile environment?

Personally, I believe that both coaching staffs know more or less what the other will be running, and this game should ultimately be decided by who can execute at a higher level. I have a feeling that both Locker and Barkley will play well Saturday, but the glaring difference between the two teams is on the defensive side of the ball.

The Huskies simply don’t have the secondary to win this game in my opinion. I am very impressed with the linebackers, and the defensive line has shown promise, but the play at the third level leaves a lot to be desired. SC will probably test the DBs early, so it is imperative that the unit plays at a serviceable level.

I believe the Dawgs will come out with a lot of energy and make this game interesting for a while behind the play of Jake Locker, but ultimately, the Trojans are a better team with a much better defense.

Prediction: USC 38 – Washington 23

USC Player to Keep an Eye On: WR Damian Williams - This seems like the perfect game for Williams to kick his 2009 campaign into high gear. I look for the Trojans leading receiver (8 receptions, 118 yards) to have a big day in Seattle.

Washington Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Chris Polk - Polk played well against LSU’s stingy D and he will have to be just as good or better against the Trojans for U-Dub to have a puncher’s chance.

Dave’s Take (14 – 4):

It was only about a month ago that Washington was ranked a virtually unanimous ninth in the conference on media day, a team that was supposed to be a bottom dweller while trying to rebuild.

But heading into Saturday’s game, what was considered to be one of the easy ones on USC’s schedule now has the look and feel of a very scary trap game.

I truly don’t know what to make of this game. I was thinking that the preperation that went into preparing for one of college football’s most explosive quarterbacks in Terrelle Pryor would help USC in containing Jake Locker; but then I look back at the Ohio State game and see Jim Tressel’s incredibly bland offense and just know that Steve Sarkisian and Jake Locker will have a whole lot more to show USC than Ohio State did.

Washington’s offense looks amazing, but have they seen a unit as good as this USC defense? You could argue LSU of course, but I expect a USC defense in week three of the season to be a lot more in-tune than LSU’s was in week one. This isn’t to say that Washington won’t get their share of yards and points; this offense just looks too damn strong to be contained completely. But this week will give us a really good idea of just how strong it really is.

The obvious issue with the Husky defense is the secondary, which Matt Barkley and USC’s WR core should be able to exploit. But the less obvious hole in the Huskies defense may be the defensive line. It has played well to this point, but it is not going to be as strong as Ohio State’s was; USC’s offensive line is one of the best in the country, and they are going to push around most defensive lines – and I think this might be one of them.

After what happened last year in Oregon State, I don’t think USC will come out flat in this one. Look for Washington to make a game of it early, but the Trojans to control the lines and eventually pull away.

Prediction: USC 41 – Washington 17