Ohio State Buckeyes vs USC Trojans Point Spread Picks

COTTON BOWL - There should be good weather in Texas as two of the best quarterbacks in the nation square off. USC QB Sam Darnold (26 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,787 yards) leads a high-octane offense that averaged 34.5 points and ranks #13 in the nation in total yards (490 per game). USC junior running back Ronald Jones II has 1,486 yards rushing for this talented and balanced attack. The offense has clicked down the stretch scoring 48, 49, 38, 28 and 31 points the last five games. USC is also 7-3-1 OVER the total in bowl games, including a 52-49 win over Penn State a year ago. Ohio State is also loaded on offense, sixth in the nation in yards (524 per game) behind QB J.T. Barrett (35 TDs, nine INTs), who ran for 732 yards. The Buckeyes are averaging 42.5 points, fifth in the nation, with great balance. Eleven different receivers had a TD catch, while RB J.K. Dobbins (1,364 yards, 10 TDs, 7.5 ypc) set a freshman rushing record and sophomore RB Mike Weber (608 yards, 6.3 ypc) also had a big year on the ground. Ohio State is on an 8-2 run OVER the total and this shapes up as an offensive show. Play this one to finish OVER the total.

While we don't have a side pick on this one, we do have a pick in the top billed game of the season. This is a game in which the loser may likely say good-bye to a possible berth in the National Championship game. There will be NFL players all over the field in this one, and USC may very well have five first round draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. Ohio State isn't far behind. The Buckeyes certainly got caught napping and looking ahead last week, narrowly escaping vs. Ohio U. But, expect a much more focused effort here. With Wells sidelined or hobbled, the defense knows it needs an outstanding effort to give their team a chance at the win. USC's Mark Sanchez has not had big game experience and Ohio State's Todd Boeckman came up empty in last year's National Championship game vs another talented defense in LSU. In that game he threw two INTs. This game has about as much talent on defense as you'll find in a college football game and the game, like most big ones, will be played with intensity. USC is a perfect 7-0 UNDER the past couple of seasons after covering a double-digit spread last game. With twobig-game unproven QBs, Wells hurting, and the intensity sure to be present here, I like this one to go UNDER the total.