Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. USC | Preview & Predictions

December 26, 2009 | 8:00 PM EST, San Francisco, CA on  ESPN

Emerald Bowl

Boston College Eagles (8-4) vs. USC Trojans (8-4)

Opening Line: Opening Line -9 (current -7)

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Game Preview: That is not a typo.  The mighty Trojans are heading north to San Francisco to play in the Emerald Bowl after their fall from the top of the PAC 10 standings.  To make matters worse they may be without three starters, an O-lineman a D-lineman and the sometimes electrifying Joe McKnight.  This has been a disappointing season for the Men of Troy and like any good coach Pete Carroll has put it all on him.  If he can rev them up for this one I would not want to be BC.  In terms of talent these teams are seriously mismatched but you should never doubt BC’s effort or courage.

Boston College Preview:  The Eagles entered the season reeling.  They lost their best player, LB Mark Herzlich, to cancer in the offseason and their expected starting QB transferred out.  The offense was not expected to be much and it did not disappoint.  But the defense was better than expected and this team held its own in the ACC.  Sure they were second tier but they won when they were supposed to.  They also handled Central Michigan with ease and I think the Chippewas are pretty good.  They have a chance if they can eliminate all mistakes.  But there is also a chance they could play their best of the year and still get blown out.

USC Preview:  This year USC struggled more than anyone expected.  Sure they lost a lot of talent to the NFL but it wasn’t the first time.  The PAC 10 has closed the gap but no one expected 4 losses in conference and some of them were not pretty.  This game will reveal a lot about next year.  Frosh QB Matt Barkley needs to demonstrate he has the goods to hold onto the position and the defense needs to get back to being the most feared in the country.  I expect an inspired peformance even though they are playing a week early.  BC is tough but they are simply outclassed.

Game Prediction:  I feel sorry for BC.  The PAC 10 may not be faring well in bowl games thus far but their matchup with USC doesn’t seem fair.  This will be a coming out party for the USC D who will be looking to make a statement after getting pushed around in conference.  The offense will be crisper than it has been in a while and Barkley will finally live up to thy hype.

Score Prediction:

USC – 42
BC – 7

Pick: Normally I would shy away from taking a TD fave in a bowl but in this case I can not see a reason not to.  Also it doesn’t hurt that Trojans are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 bowl games.