OK the second to last (I promise) post of these PAC-12 2018 preseason forecasts… USC Out of Conference Opponents in 2018:
UNLV Last Year 5-7 all/ 4-4 Mountain West . Key Losses: Off- WR D. Boyd. Backup QB J Stanton. Def-DB R Jackson and DL M Hughes (possibly their 2 best Defensemen). Starter Losses: Offense: OC, LG, WR , TE. Defense: DT, NT, SS, CB. This year Ret Starters: O-7, D-7, Kicker &Punter. Projected: #3 MW/ #99 Nat. O/D: scored 28.8ppg D gave up 31.8ppg. They don't lose a lot of key personnel, but have some deficits. Last Year on D they only had 10 sacks and 7 interceptions. They lost big to the two top 25 teams that they played in Ohio State by 33 and SDSU by 31. The odds at 25.5 seem appropriate and a win is expected. .
Texas Last Year 7-6 all/ 5-4Big12. Key Losses: Off- OT C Williams (R2). Def-LB M Jefferson (R3), S D Eliot (6), Punter M Dickson (R6). .Starter Losses: Offense: WR, TE, RG. LT Defense: OLB, DE, FS, CB, P. This year Ret Starters: O-7, D-7, Kicker. Projected: #2 B12/ #20 Nat. O/D: scored 29.5 ppg D gave up 21.2 ppg. Coach Tom Herman after 2 very good years at Houston, had a pretty tough 1st year. opening with losses to Maryland and USC (2 OT). The O was erratic with 6 games scoring 24 or less, and no bowl game. The D was good nearly all year (21 ppg) but lost perhaps their two best D men and an excellent punter. Most everyone sees this team improving with running QB Ehlinger, who needs to improve on his 11 TD-7 Int., as a freshman. But Jr Steve Buchele is a very good backup QB as well. They play at Maryland (a team that beat them at Austin) and Tulsa before USC. Texas was 3-3, at home in Austin last year. A 50-50 game, but both teams will have 2 games under the belt by then.
Notre Dame Last Year 10-3. Key Losses: Off- RB J Adams (top Rush) , WR E St. Brown -top Rec (R6), TE D Smythe (R4), OT M McGlinchey (R1), OG Q Nelson (R1) . Def-N Morgan (92 Tackle). Starter Losses: Offense: RB, WR, TE, OT (2) . Defense: DE, Rov.. This year Ret Starters: O-6, D-9, Kicker &Punter. Projected: #12 Nat. O/D: scored 34.2 ppg D gave up 21.5 ppg. This should be interesting. ND had a very good D last year and returns most. On Offense they were pretty good but lost a lot.. They lose 2 big linemen (see above) from a team that, with them, gave up 30 sacks (the same as USC) . Plus they lost 2 of their top 3 Runners, Top Rec, along with those 2 first round OL. ND was 3-3 vs. ranked opponents last year. ND plays Florida State and Syracuse before the USC game. It’s a revenge game this time for USC, and in the last 4 games USC won by 18 and 35 at home and lost by 10 and 35 away. Are we serving this year? Yep, and I like their chances here a lot. A win.
USC should go 2-1 or 3-0 here.
UNLV Last Year 5-7 all/ 4-4 Mountain West . Key Losses: Off- WR D. Boyd. Backup QB J Stanton. Def-DB R Jackson and DL M Hughes (possibly their 2 best Defensemen). Starter Losses: Offense: OC, LG, WR , TE. Defense: DT, NT, SS, CB. This year Ret Starters: O-7, D-7, Kicker &Punter. Projected: #3 MW/ #99 Nat. O/D: scored 28.8ppg D gave up 31.8ppg. They don't lose a lot of key personnel, but have some deficits. Last Year on D they only had 10 sacks and 7 interceptions. They lost big to the two top 25 teams that they played in Ohio State by 33 and SDSU by 31. The odds at 25.5 seem appropriate and a win is expected. .
Texas Last Year 7-6 all/ 5-4Big12. Key Losses: Off- OT C Williams (R2). Def-LB M Jefferson (R3), S D Eliot (6), Punter M Dickson (R6). .Starter Losses: Offense: WR, TE, RG. LT Defense: OLB, DE, FS, CB, P. This year Ret Starters: O-7, D-7, Kicker. Projected: #2 B12/ #20 Nat. O/D: scored 29.5 ppg D gave up 21.2 ppg. Coach Tom Herman after 2 very good years at Houston, had a pretty tough 1st year. opening with losses to Maryland and USC (2 OT). The O was erratic with 6 games scoring 24 or less, and no bowl game. The D was good nearly all year (21 ppg) but lost perhaps their two best D men and an excellent punter. Most everyone sees this team improving with running QB Ehlinger, who needs to improve on his 11 TD-7 Int., as a freshman. But Jr Steve Buchele is a very good backup QB as well. They play at Maryland (a team that beat them at Austin) and Tulsa before USC. Texas was 3-3, at home in Austin last year. A 50-50 game, but both teams will have 2 games under the belt by then.
Notre Dame Last Year 10-3. Key Losses: Off- RB J Adams (top Rush) , WR E St. Brown -top Rec (R6), TE D Smythe (R4), OT M McGlinchey (R1), OG Q Nelson (R1) . Def-N Morgan (92 Tackle). Starter Losses: Offense: RB, WR, TE, OT (2) . Defense: DE, Rov.. This year Ret Starters: O-6, D-9, Kicker &Punter. Projected: #12 Nat. O/D: scored 34.2 ppg D gave up 21.5 ppg. This should be interesting. ND had a very good D last year and returns most. On Offense they were pretty good but lost a lot.. They lose 2 big linemen (see above) from a team that, with them, gave up 30 sacks (the same as USC) . Plus they lost 2 of their top 3 Runners, Top Rec, along with those 2 first round OL. ND was 3-3 vs. ranked opponents last year. ND plays Florida State and Syracuse before the USC game. It’s a revenge game this time for USC, and in the last 4 games USC won by 18 and 35 at home and lost by 10 and 35 away. Are we serving this year? Yep, and I like their chances here a lot. A win.
USC should go 2-1 or 3-0 here.
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