USC football: Updated game-by-game predictions for 2020

USC and Utah have played in some of the most entertaining games since the Utes decided to join the Pac-12 in 2011.

Utah finally broke through last season and won the Pac-12 South and were one win away from the College Football Playoff. The Utes return the majority of starters on offense, but the losses they have are pretty significant. Zack Moss and Tyler Huntley are gone and they won’t be easy to replace.

What will be harder to replace is the nine starters they are losing on defense. Jaylon Johnson and Bradlee Anae were two of the best defensive players in the country and they won’t be easily replaced.

Utah will be relying on South Carolina transfer quarterback Jake Bentley to take over on offense and make the transition from Huntley seamless. USC has not beaten Utah in Salt Lake since 2012 and that shows how hard of a place it can be to play.

Despite their losses, I think Utah extends the winning streak over the Trojans in Salt Lake.

Final Score: USC 24, Utah 28 (7-2)

Washington is undergoing some major changes in its football program, as Chris Petersen stunningly stepped down as the head coach and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will be taking over what has been the Pac-12’s best program in recent seasons.

Washington will be looking for a new starting quarterback, running back and some of their best offensive linemen on that side of the ball. The Huskies should still be solid on the defensive side of the ball and they will have to be with so many new faces on offense, as well as new offensive coordinator John Donovan.

I think the Huskies will be fine in the long run with Lake as the head coach, but this will be a transition year for the program and with too many new faces on offense, they could struggle to beat teams like USC.

Final Score: USC 27, Washington 20 (8-2)