Welcome back to Two Weeks Notice, a biweekly sports column that predicts games roughly two weeks in advance through a satirically analytical lens.
Happy Halloween! My spooky predictions for the World Series didn’t entirely hold up, but I’m still hoping for the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the next two games tonight and tomorrow evening. Furthermore, my forecast for a Trojan win fell through as they suffered a tough loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 18 in South Bend, Indiana. Nonetheless, USC football will hopefully rise from the ashes and be victorious over their upcoming opponents.
This Saturday, USC football – the No. 23 team in the AP Top 25 – battles the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The biggest threats to the Trojans include junior running back Emmett Johnson and senior linebacker Javin Wright. This season, Johnson’s rushing yards supersede those of USC junior running back Waymond Jordan 837 to 576, with Nebraska’s strong offense placing a further strain on USC’s weak defense.
Additionally, Wright has slightly out-tackled Trojan redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry, 52 to 48, which may create an additional challenge for USC’s offense. Still, the Trojans should be well-rested after their bye week, giving head coach Lincoln Riley no excuses for a loss due to travel or exhaustion.
The following week, the Trojans will face the Northwestern Wildcats on Nov. 7 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Hailing from the capital of middle America, the Wildcats present a similar issue as the Huskers in redshirt sophomore running back Caleb Komolafe and redshirt junior defensive back Robert Fitzgerald. Komolafe’s rushing yards barely surpass Jordan’s, 608 to 576, but Fitzgerald’s tackles exceed Gentry’s, 69 to 48, which could threaten USC’s powerhouse junior wide receiver duo Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. In terms of offense, the Wildcats may put up a good fight, but it’s more than likely that the student body GPA will be higher than their scoring average.
On Nov. 15, USC will battle the Iowa Hawkeyes on their home-field in LA. With alumni returning for Homecoming Weekend, the Coliseum will be filled with passionate fans dressed head to toe in cardinal and gold. This season, Iowa has gone 6-2 with both losses at the hands of ranked teams, losing 16-13 to their cross-state rivals Iowa State – No. 16 on the AP Poll at the time – and 20-15 to then No. 11 Indiana. The Hawkeyes’ offense has scored big against mediocre teams; however, their stats are no match for the Trojan’s red zone, and USC’s defense should be able to fend them off.
Their game against No. 6 Oregon next Saturday will likely have a similar result and, if USC is still on the AP Poll by mid-November, Iowa will have lost to two more ranked teams and wipe that smile off Herky the Hawk’s face.
Notre Dame’s foil of a USC trick play brought a spooky end to October gameplay, but November will hopefully bring them treats with some exciting Trojan wins up ahead as they take on the Midwest. Make sure to tune in to tomorrow’s game against Nebraska at 4:30 p.m. on NBC, because whether Huskers, Wildcats or Hawkeyes, the Trojans will stop at nothing to achieve their Midwest conquest.