It was only five years ago that the Stanford Cardinal, a tiny little team that was on the upswing coached by Jim Harbaugh, came into the LA Coliseum and shocked the USC Trojans as 39-point underdogs. Since that point, these two have played back and forth football, including some tremendously competitive games. Now that USC is back from its probation, this could be a heck of a clash in the Pac-12, and it might be a preview of the Pac-12 Championship Game if the chips end up falling right for both teams. Coaches on both sides have changed, and both teams have gone through some massive overhauls, but in the end, the results should still be the same. There is a reason that this is the No. 9 game in our list of the Top 25 college football matchups of the season.

USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal Picks & Info
USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal Date: Saturday, September 15th
USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal Location: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, CA
USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal Spread: USC Trojans -11.5

After last year’s loss to Stanford in overtime at the Coliseum, the Trojans figure to be out for blood. They have actually lost three in a row in this series, and this is a part of the reason why QB Matt Barkley has come back to school for his final year. Barkley is one of the many future NFLers that will be on the field in this game on both sides, and a lot of them are going to be wearing the colors of the Trojans. Still, you have to go back to 2008 to find the last time that USC was able to come into “The Farm” and post a victory, and at that point, Stanford was still a team that was up and coming. The defense is what is going to be challenged for USC, as the Cardinal have dropped 56, 37, and 55 points on the board against the Trojans over the course of the last three seasons, something that Head Coach Lane Kiffin is surely going to be pointing out to his team when this one comes up on the schedule.

USC Trojans vs. Stanford Cardinal Past Games (Since 1995)
2011: Stanford 56 – USC 48
2010: Stanford 37 – USC 35
2009: Stanford 55 – USC 21
2008: USC 45 – Stanford 23
2007: Stanford 24 – USC 23
2006: USC 42 – Stanford 0
2005: USC 51 – Stanford 21
2004: USC 31 – Stanford 28
2003: USC 44 – Stanford 21
2002: USC 49 – Stanford 17
2001: Stanford 21 – USC 16
2000: Stanford 32 – USC 30
1999: Stanford 35 – USC 31
1998: USC 35 – Stanford 9
1997: USC 45 – Stanford 21
1996: Stanford 24 – USC 20

We haven’t spoken a heck of a lot about the Cardinal this year, but we still think that they are going to be a dangerous team in spite of the fact that QB Andrew Luck is now playing with the Indianapolis Colts. QB Brett Nottingham is a heady player, and he learned at the feet of Luck to be able to come into this position. This might be the time for him to shine. He has a great offensive line in front of him even though OL David DeCastro elected to go to the NFL early. There are four returners, and a heck of a lot of tight ends that know what they are doing both in the passing game and the blocking game. RB Stepfan Taylor could be in for a massive game this time around, almost like what RB Toby Gerhart was able to do to the Trojans a few years ago when these teams played here in Palo Alto.

USC @ Stanford Free Picks^^: The hype that has surrounded USC over the course of the last few months has been out of this world. There is no doubt whatsoever that the Trojans have the superiorly talented team, but we have to remember that Stanford has covered nine out of the last 13 here in this series. That’s definitely not a mistake. Especially for a game that is being played here “On the Farm,” it could be a heck of a challenge for the Men of Troy. We definitely want the points on our side, and we wouldn’t be all that shocked if there is an upset that is in the cards.

^^Please Note: The USC @ Stanford picks listed above on our sports betting blog are made by our staff writers. These football picks are based upon the betting lines listed in August 2012 and do not reflect the actual expert handicapping picks at Bankroll Sports. Click Here to receive our premium expert handicappers NCAA Football Picks for the 2012 campaign.

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