Three Bold Predictions For Stanford's Game Against No. 6 USC

Facing off against the duo of Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley is never an easy task, but when your team is mostly composed of first-time starters it gets even more tricky.

That is the case for Stanford as they are set to hit the road for the second week straight and take on No. 6 USC. The Cardinal were able to open the season with a bang, beating Hawaii by two scores despite being favored by just a field goal and projected by many to be upset.

Now, heading into Week 2 the Cardinal find themselves as nearly 30-point underdogs against USC and many are expecting a bludgeoning.

However, we have seen bigger upsets in similar conditions as Jim Harbaugh and Tavita Pritchard were able to beat USC as 40+ point underdogs. In honor of that game, which is one of the more iconic games in program history I decided to compile some bold predictions for this game.

Stanford will pick off Caleb Williams for the first time this year

While USC's defense has struggled, someone who never seems to make mistakes is the 2022 Heisman winner. He has just nine career interceptions and hasn't thrown one yet in 2023. I think that while this secondary is extremely inexperienced, they came close to grabbing one in Week 1 and will have a chance to get one on Saturday if the defensive line is making Williams squirm. Also, stealing possessions from USC is vital if you want to win. For reference, in the three games that the Trojans lost last season, Williams threw a pick in two of them. So, if you make him turn the ball over you give Stanford's new-look offense another chance and could help make this a ball game.

The Stanford defense will sack Caleb Williams at least three times

It is hard to compare USC and Hawaii, but the growth in David Bailey and the rest of the offensive line that we saw in Week 1 makes it hard to not believe this is possible. Williams has already been sacked three times this season, and with an improved pass rush, Stanford could truly make life difficult and uncomfortable for him. One key to beating USC is not just pressuring Williams, but bringing him down. If Stanford can do that, this game will be much closer than people expect.

Stanford will have a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth

USC has an all-world quarterback and play caller, but their defense continues to be their Achilles heel. They have given up huge plays in both of their first games against Nevada and San Jose State, and neither of those teams has the run game or offense prowess that Troy Taylor has at his disposal. If the Cardinal can find success on the ground and impose their will against the Trojan defense, USC could collapse. We also have to take into consideration that Taylor will be getting creative as ever on offense and put Ashton Daniels in situations to find his favorite target Benjamin Yurosek.