Week 4 of the college football season will witness a massive Pac-12 showdown before the Saturday slate of action hits. Friday night, the No. 10 Utah Utes made the trip out to Los Angeles to take on the USC Trojans, who are very much out for revenge after major heartbreak last weekend. Meanwhile, heading into the season many were saying that this is coach Kyle Whittingham's best Utah team throughout his entire tenure, and a big win over a staggering USC squad on the road Friday night may go a long way in making an emphatic statement in the conference.
Coupled with the fact that USC is coming off a surprising overtime loss to BYU a week ago and that the Utes are actually the favorites in Los Angeles, this has all the makings of some Pac-12 After Dark if we've ever seen it.
USC freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis threw three picks against the Cougars and needs a get-right game. What a game to get right, though. If coach Clay Helton can't rebound this week, his hot seat chatter will only increase as USC begins its latest pursuit of a new athletic director.
Storylines
USC: There's an interesting story looming over USC for this game, and it has less to do with what's on the field and more to do with the coverage. Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" will be in L.A. for this game. Two members of the crew include former Trojans running back Reggie Bush, whose impermissible benefits received resulted in severe NCAA sanctions for the program, and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. Both appearances are significant, but Meyer's is especially so considering how frequently his name has been linked to the USC job. Meyer has maintained he plans to stay retired, but who knows for sure? And now that athletic director Lynn Swann is out, Helton is one loss away from being back on the hot seat.
Utah: Considering that No. 22 Washington and No. 19 Washington State are still on the schedule, this likely isn't going to be Utah's toughest conference game. However, it is a road game on a short week and USC isn't lacking skill. This game will tell us way more about the Utes than any of the first three games. Keep in mind, too, that Utah hasn't won in Los Angeles since joining the Pac-12 and has only done so once all-time against the Trojans ... in 1916, the second meeting ever between the two.
Viewing information
Date: Friday, Sept. 20 | Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum -- Los Angeles, California
TV: FS1 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Game prediction, picks
It's hard to buy what USC is selling, whatever that is exactly. It's a different team every week. Sometimes it looks great, but sometimes it looks awful. Given Utah's defensive speed and ability to wear down teams late, give me the Utes to win by at least five, even on the road. Pick: Utah (-4.5)
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