Matchups to Watch
There are two key matchups to watch in this showdown between Texas and USC. Let’s go a little outside the box in picking these matchups.
1. Tom Herman vs. Clay Helton
The battle of coaches is one to watch this game. Texas hasn’t had a stable coaching situation since Mack Brown and Tom Herman was supposed to be the new kid on the block that elevated this program.
In Herman’s debut against Maryland, Texas laid an egg and dropped the opener. They bounced back against San Jose State — but come on, it’s San Jose State. This will be a huge test for his young team on the road, in a hostile environment like L.A. Memorial Coliseum. He’ll need to have an elite game plan to be able to take down the Trojans in southern California.
On the other sideline, Clay Helton has held onto the USC job and impressed thus far this season. But the expectation in LA is championship or bust. The Trojans can’t afford to come out flat in this game and drop it, they’ll need to be aggressive and take care of business. That’s on Helton to get his troops moving in the right direction.
2. USC Running Backs vs. Texas rushing defense
This will likely be the matchup that determines how close this game will be. USC’s running backs have been running all over opposing defenses thus far this season. Ronald Jones II has been explosive, while Stephen Carr came onto the scene against Stanford.
If this duo can go ahead and have an effective day against Texas, this game might not even be close. If the Texas run defense can slow them down, there’s a chance for the Longhorns to keep it close for their offense.
The Longhorns only gave up 42 yards on 23 carries against the Spartans last week, but the real challenge will be if they can repeat that performance against USC.
These two matchups will likely have the biggest effect on the outcome. Sam Darnold will get his against Texas, but the rushing offense and head coaches will impact the game the most.