Trojans Wire Perspective: It’s in USC’s best interest for Oregon to beat UCLA
This article was written by Matt Zemek, the Managing Editor for USA TODAY’s Trojans Wire. Give them a follow, you won’t be sorry.
What are Oregon fans thinking about the mood at USC after the Trojans lost to Utah? You can guess what USC fans are thinking: Pac-12 refs are the worst. That point aside, however, fans in Eugene might wonder: Which team will USC fans be rooting for?
On one hand, this might seem easy: USC fans want a meteor shower and hope both teams can lose. Joking aside, of course, USC fans are never going to root for UCLA, right? Or, is it not that simple?
USC fans might want to play UCLA for all the marbles. Let’s have the Bruins be unbeaten so that the Trojans can take them down and go to the Pac-12 Championship Game for a rematch where we can beat them again.
Is the conventional view or the alternative view ascendant at Heritage Hall?
The case for UCLA
The idea that USC fans would root for UCLA over Oregon is rooted in a desire to have UCLA on a pedestal, fat and happy and getting lots of love in the Los Angeles media sphere, so that the Trojans can play the underdog card and ambush them on Nov. 19. USC-UCLA is going to be a big game unless something really weird happens. Might as well have the Bruins take care of Oregon so that USC can get past the Ducks and into the Pac-12 title game.
The case for Oregon
This one is simple: UCLA always needs to lose. Real Trojans never want the Bruins to do well. On a purely emotional level, that’s the heart of the matter.
How the USC-Utah result mattered
Utah beating USC makes it a lot easier for the Trojans to root for Oregon and against UCLA. Why? UCLA has the head-to-head tiebreaker against Utah, and USC does not. If there’s a three-way tie involving UCLA, USC, and Utah, the Trojans will probably be left out. If UCLA has head-to-head wins over Utah and Oregon, it will be in a position to win a three-team tiebreaker under Pac-12 tiebreaker rules. Oregon beating UCLA enables USC to play UCLA in a Pac-12 elimination game: winner stays alive, loser is out. As long as Utah loses one more conference game, USC would make the Pac-12 title game if Oregon beats UCLA and the Trojans can beat the Bruins in November.
If USC had beat Utah
If USC had beaten Utah, the Trojans would be rooting for UCLA against Oregon. USC would have had the head-to-head tiebreaker over Utah, and Utah would have had two conference losses, essentially eliminating itself from the Pac-12 race. The Pac-12 would have been reduced to a three-team race. UCLA beating Oregon would mean that the Ducks could be eliminated with a loss to Utah on Nov. 19.
That scenario will not unfold, but if it had existed, the Trojans might have considered rooting for the Bruins.
More Context
One reason USC will root for Oregon on Saturday (since it lost to Utah) is that none of the Pac-12’s big games have featured a road win this season. Utah lost at UCLA. USC lost at Utah. UCLA’s only road win this year is at Colorado. It is best for USC if Oregon maintains home-field dominance and runs the table in the Pac-12, which would mean wins over UCLA and Utah. Oregon is now in a position to clear out USC’s opponents and help the Trojans make the Pac-12 title game … with the Ducks being the matchup in Las Vegas.
In Conclusion...
Go Ducks! We’ve always been huge fans of Bo Nix and Dan Lanning. We really do wish Oregon football the very best this Saturday in front of ESPN College GameDay. Quack!
