For the first time all season, USC (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) is coming into a game unranked. The Trojans' loss last week, a 10-point defeat at home against undefeated Washington, was their third loss in the last four games.
Led by last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, the Trojans enter this week as the No. 8 offense in the nation. Scoring hasn’t been the issue, but the same can’t be said about the team’s ability to get stops.
USC hasn’t won a game by more than one score since late September. The offense has continued to produce since then, but opposing teams have been able to keep up. It’s become so bad that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was fired with two games left to be played.
The two co-defensive coordinators, Brian Odom, and Shaun Nua, will have their work cut out for them in their first test in new roles. Oregon (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) is a high-powered offense itself entering the week as the No. 2 offense in the nation. The Ducks are coming off their second-highest-scoring game of the season and are still playing for a trip to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship.
Fans of scoring will likely enjoy this one. For Oregon to keep its postseason goals alive, a big home win will be necessary. Dan Lanning and some players spoke with media this week before the second-to-last home game of the season. Here are some of the biggest storylines for week 11.