Once in a while I get a guest post and if you are good enough, you make it in.  Here's Dan's take on USC - Ohio St...

What is the one word that comes to mind when I think of the upcoming USC vs. Ohio State rivalry game – KARMA. That’s right Jim Tressel, Karma. You get exactly what you deserve from the football gods when you open your season with Youngstown St. and Ohio U. Should the college football world take pity on you because you will be playing the most important game of the season without your most important player being 100% healthy? Absolutely not. When OSU when up 7-0 on Youngstown St, that is precisely when Chris Wells should’ve been put on the bench. Was there ever really a chance that OSU would lose that game? Then why keep him in and risk injury – which is exactly what happened. Believe it or not, the Trojans fans would prefer that Wells is 100%. We do not want OSU to have any excuses for losing this game. The reality is, Wells will be closer to 60% and will not have a major impact on this game. Even if he were at 100%, would he really have an impact? Can any team realistically expect to come to the Coliseum and beat the mighty Trojans with their running attack? Impossible. In order to keep pace with the Trojans, you better find a way to put up 30 points. If you’re Virginia or any other team in the ACC, you better find yourself 50 points. You better find a way to spread the offense, not control the clock, and get down the field as fast as you can. . Here is a brief run down of some Trojan opponents from 2007 and the scores that were put up: Idaho – 38, Nebraska – 49, Wash St – 47, Notre Dame – 38, ASU – 44, Illinois – 49. Guess what – it doesn’t matter who you are, what conference you are in, what style of football you play or what kind of defense you have – THE TROJANS ARE GOING TO SCORE. Can OSU score? I’m not so sure they can. Can anyone in the Big 10 score? I’m not so sure they can. What did Juice Williams do against the Trojans in the Rose Bowl this year – nothing. I thought he was the next Michael Vick? Turns out that against the Trojans Defense he isn’t even the next Jamarcus Russell. Nobody in the PAC 10 can beat SC. Nobody in the SEC can beat SC – ) just ask Arkansas and Auburn – SC is a combined 4-0 again them in the past 2 years) . Just how is a team from the fat, flow, least creative conference in football going to beat them?

It would be too easy for me to point out the last 2 BCS Championship games where OSU was blown out by LSU and FLA. It would be too easy to point out that Jim Tressel doesn’t know how to defend against a spread, West Coast, NFL style offense. It would be too easy to say that OSU doesn’t recruit the type of player that keep can keep pace with the speedy players of USC and the PAC 10. I will simply say this, if Tressel still can’t figure out how to keep pace with this style of play, then he loses all credibility as a big time head coach. Tressel losing consistently in big, out of conference games reminds me of another "legendary" coach who just couldn’t cut it outside of his own comfort zone – Steve Spurrier, Washington Redskins. Ironically, I actually think that Tressel and his team will find a way to keep this game interesting. I think that the 10.5 point line that Vegas has set might be too high. I do believe that OSU will find a way to keep it competitive. I do believe that Tressel has been studying tape of the Trojans ever since he stepped out of the showers in Arizona after the 08 BCS beating. I believe that when Tressel himself was sitting in the living room of Tyrell Pryor he said "Son, if you come to OSU, I promise we will design some trick plays for you just so that you can showcase your talents on September 13th in Los Angeles." I believe that Pryor hasn’t played at all in 2008 because OSU doesn’t want SC to have any tape of him to study. I believe that OSU has a few tricks up its’ sleeve and will make it interesting up until half time.

Wells will get a few yards on Saturday, he may even score a touchdown. He will also get punched in the mouth by Rey Maualuga. Todd Boeckman will throw for a few yards, he may even throw for a TD. He will also get picked off by Brian Cushing. Jim Tressel will draw up a few nice offensive plays, he will even pull off a few successful misdirection’s and flea flickers. He will also get out coached (again) by the great Pete Carroll. Brutus Buckeye and all of the loyal Ohio State fans will flood the Coliseum and give their team full support; they may even get some respect. But in the end, they will be buried in a sea of Cardinal and Gold as the Trojans march on to a 31 – 21 victory. I’m not here to advocate gambling. I will not urge you to put money on the Trojans -10.5. But I will offer you a few "sure things."

1.) Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso will spend hours talking up this game and helping the public to believe that it will be a classic. Around 8:55 AM PST, Lee Corso will reach for the Trojan helmet while Herby acts as if he disagrees.
2) The Trojans defense will put on a display that will amaze and mystify the viewing public. People all over the country will get a prime time chance to see that it is not only the offense that makes us so good, but that SC has the best defense in the country.
3). After this game, high school recruits all across the Southland will begin to laugh when they hear that Rick Neuheisel is on the phone. There is only 1 football school in Southern California.
4) When ABC pans the crowd, you will see some of the most beautiful college women in the country.
5) The Buckeyes will lose this game, and at least 2 more, as their season turns out to be a major disappointment. They will not recover from this beating and their BCS and Heisman dreams will wash away into the Pacific Ocean.
6). SC will go to the Horseshoe in 2009 and beat the Buckeyes by an even great margin than they do on Saturday night.