What will happen: Ohio State brought its A game against Ohio ... riiiiiiight. Under Tressel, the Buckeyes have made a living out of playing down to their opponents, but coming through when needed. In 2002, Cincinnati lost to Ohio State 23-19 when a pass went through the receiver's hands in the end zone on the final play. Those Buckeyes survived by the skin of their teeth game after game, and then they beat a supposedly unbeatable Miami team for the national title. This year's team has the same makeup.
Ohio State has been hearing about two things, 57 times a day, every day since Jan. 8: losing two national titles, and the USC game. Of course the Buckeyes were looking ahead to this game. Of course USC saw the Ohio game and, with two weeks off, is going to have a pang of overconfidence. Of course Ohio State is every bit as fast, athletic and good as USC. The difference is experience. Ohio State has more of it than USC.
The Buckeyes will win the turnover and special teams battles, and while Beanie and the running game will get stuffed, the Trojan ground attack will do next to nothing. Sanchez will be terrific. He'll have some big moments, make some key throws, and will show that he could really be the next great USC quarterback, but he'll also throw two key interceptions. Pryor will run for a touchdown, OSU QB Todd Boeckman won't make any mistakes, and Ohio State will shock the football world with a win that shouldn't really come as that great a surprise.
Line: USC -11
Must See Rating: (5 Hole in the Wall - 1 First Blood) ... 5
Fearless Prediction: Ohio State 27 ... USC 23
<!-- LexisNexis Disclaimer -->
Play FOX College Football Pick'em >
<!-- // Talkback Module // --> <!-- BEGIN calling talkback widget--> <script language="javascript"> function reloadPage() { window.location.reload(true); } </script> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"> var cfu = location.pathname if ( typeof(FSFlashTag)=="undefined" || typeof(FSFlashTag.prototype.setSalign)=="undefined" ) { document.write('<scr'+'ipt language="JavaScript1.2" src="/fe/js/lib/javascriptFlash/FSJavaScriptFlashGateway.js" type="text/javascript"></scr'+'ipt>'); } var isLoggedIn="false"; if(typeof(user) == "undefined" || user.USER_ID == "null" || parseInt(user.USER_ID) == 0) { //logged out } else { isLoggedIn="true"; } </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript1.2"> var tag = new FSFlashTag('/name/public/story/Talkback', 340, 100); tag.setWmode('transparent'); tag.setWmodeFF('transparent'); tag.setFlashvars('snapkey=8547794&isLoggedIn=' + isLoggedIn + '&teamNames=Texas,Michigan,Ohio State,Cincinnati,Penn State,Ohio,Arizona,LSU,UCLA,USC,Arkansas,Oregon,Florida,Notre Dame,Virginia,Oklahoma,West Virginia&teamIds=83,29,33,98,34,54,57,76,64,62,74,60,67,104,8,24,17&teamSport=CFB&cfu=' + cfu); tag.setId('flashTalkback'); tag.write(document); </script><embed src="http://msn.foxsports.com/name/public/story/Talkback" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" flashvars="snapkey=8547794&isLoggedIn=false&teamNames=Texas,Michigan,Ohio State,Cincinnati,Penn State,Ohio,Arizona,LSU,UCLA,USC,Arkansas,Oregon,Florida,Notre Dame,Virginia,Oklahoma,West Virginia&teamIds=83,29,33,98,34,54,57,76,64,62,74,60,67,104,8,24,17&teamSport=CFB&cfu=/cfb/story/8547794/Fearless-Prediction:-Ohio-State-USC" name="flashTalkback" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="340" height="100"> <!-- END calling talkback widget-->
<!-- // Community Links // -->
COMMUNITY ON FOXSPORTS.COM
<!-- // Comments // --> <!-- Comments Disclaimer -->
<style> .commentsDisclaimer { font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px; color:#838383; border-bottom:1px solid #c5c5c5; _height:45px; background-color:#ffffff; background-image:url(/fe/img/Story/comments_disclaimer_bg.jpg); background-repeat:repeat-x; background-position:bottom left; padding:10px 10px 10px 10px; } .commentsDisclaimer a:link, .commentsDisclaimer a:visited, .commentsDisclaimer a:active { font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px; color:#838383; text-decoration:underline; } </style> Please note by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the
Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.
Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.
<!-- Bottom --> <!--Here is the SNAP comments on the page bottom--> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://community.foxsports.com/boards/Comments660.aspx?forum_key=StoryComments&topic_key=8547794&page_no=1"></script><link href="http://imedia.foxsports.com/css/sc660.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://community.foxsports.com/js/global.js"></script><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://community.foxsports.com/js/glbl.js?v=1"></script><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://community.foxsports.com/js/fakepop.js"></script><form id="Form1"><input name="method" id="ActionMethodID" value="" type="hidden"><input name="topic_id" id="TopicID" value="" type="hidden"><input name="post_id" id="PostID" value="" type="hidden">+
add a comment
Page 1 of 1
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
ALLHEART
9/11/2008
10:16 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
GOOD JOB TO THE NCAA COMMITEE
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
ALLHEART
9/11/2008
10:13 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
I WANT OHIO STATE TO KICK USC"S ####!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THEN SHUT UP ABOUT IT ALREADY! GO SUNDEVILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!! EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT LIKE IT'S THE END ALL OF GAMES TO THE POINT THAT WE MIGHT AS WELL FORGET ABOUT HAVING A NATIONAL CHAPIONSHIP GAME WOR WHICH IS CLEARLY A BIG JOKE ANYWAY, BECAUSE ALL DIVISION 1 SCHOOLS AREN'T ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
TrojanTime
9/11/2008
10:10 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
USC's defense will shutdown OSU Early. Because of this, Beanie will leave the game early to save his foot so he can still compete for the Heisman.
USC 36
OSU 13
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
Footyballfan
9/11/2008
10:07 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
This game was over the second Ray Small opened his mouth.
USC 35
OSU 13
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
BungalowBill
9/11/2008
10:05 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
USC has gone 7-0 against the Big Ten by a total score of 268-91, or an average of 37-13. To take this even further, Northwestern, in the 41-32 loss to the Keyshawn Johnson-led Trojans in the 1996 Rose Bowl, was the last Big Ten team to get more than 18 points against USC.
==================
Classic.
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
FrankMagany
9/11/2008
9:40 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
I agree with MegaBuck's score prediction...if you reverse the teams
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
haveg00dtime
9/11/2008
9:40 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
Go usc!!! But no time to watch the games these days....just found a hot place, you should try it ---s u g a r bab y m a t c h.c o m a greatplace to meet hot women and successful men....The girls are so hot lol
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
printing1910
9/11/2008
9:33 AM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
USC will win...OSU can't play against the "real" teams!
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
theLittleSchoolOnFigueroa
9/10/2008
11:55 PM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
the magic 8ball says
SC 28
OSU 17
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
OU-WARRIOR
9/10/2008
2:46 PM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
they have usc 2-0 and we supose to belive thier prediction NOT
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
MegaBuck
9/10/2008
2:31 PM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
Won't be that close.
OSU 38- USC 17
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="45">
</td><td width="97">
NO1USC
9/10/2008
2:24 PM</td><td>(report inappropriate content)
Dream on...
USC 48
OSU 13
</td></tr></tbody></table>
+
add a comment
Page 1 of 1
</form><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">function addComment() {var url = "http://community.foxsports.com/boards/AddComment.aspx?forum_key=StoryComments&topic_key=8547794&ret=" + escape(window.location.href);winopen(url, 'popwin', 400, 340);} function report(tid, pid) {var url = "http://community.foxsports.com/boards/report.aspx?topic_id=" + tid.toString() + "&post_id=" + pid.toString();winopen(url, 'popwin', 500, 400);} </script>
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/8547794/Fearless-Prediction:-Ohio-State-USC