USC Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2020 season
Scouting Report. Oct. 17. Tucson (Ariz.). Arizona Wildcats. Pick Analysis. 7. player. 835
USC is currently sporting a seven-game winning streak over the Wildcats and it does not seem that there is an end in sight to it.
Arizona has not been as successful as some would have thought under Kevin Sumlin and this will be a big year for the program. Sumlin came to Tucson with high expectations after successful stops at Houston and Texas A&M, but a underwhelming offense and a terrible defense have kept the Wildcats from making any sort of progress in the Pac-12.
Former quarterback Khalil Tate is gone and the offense will be in the hands of Grant Gunnell, who has played well at times. The defense will need to make big leaps for the Wildcats to challenge for a bowl game and the offense will need to be more consistent. This is a big year for Sumlin and the Wildcats, but the Trojans are going to be too much for the Wildcats, even in Tucson.
Final Score: USC 49, Arizona 21 (5-2, 4-1)
857. Scouting Report. Los Angeles (Calif.). 8. player. Pick Analysis. Oct. 31. Colorado Buffaloes
Coming off a bye week, the Trojans will close the month of October out against Colorado, a team that USC has never lost too in its long history.
Colorado has come close in the past couple of years, but will need to replace receiver Laviska Shenault and quarterback Steven Montez and neither of those will be an easy task. Colorado will also be under new leadership, as Karl Dorrell is returning to the Pac-12 to be the head coach for the Buffaloes, after spending a season with the Miami Dolphins as the wide receivers coach. Dorrell was a successful head coach at UCLA a little over a decade ago and will be looking to bring some stability to the program after Mel Tucker departed suddenly for Michigan State.
After coming close to winning the Pac-12 in 2016, the Buffaloes have not been as successful in the seasons since. Mel Tucker looked to be a promising pick as a head coach despite a 5-7, but he departed suddenly for East Lansing and Colorado had to fill the vacancy rather quickly.
I think this year could be a hard one for the Buffaloes and USC will be too much for them on the road in Los Angeles.
Final Score: USC 45, Colorado 17 (6-2, 5-1)