College Football News predicts Iowa Hawkeyes vs. USC in Week 12 matchup
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Week 12 presents a rather intriguing opportunity for the Iowa Hawkeyes, one that they should relish, as it is a reversal of fortunes from last weekend.
The No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) head to Los Angeles to take on the No. 17 USC Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten), who are very much alive in the Big Ten race as well as the College Football Playoff picture. Iowa has the chance to notch its seventh win of the season, while also putting a damper on USC on what figures to be a rain-soaked afternoon already.
Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CT from the Los Angeles Coliseum and will be airing on the Big Ten Network. Pete Fiutak of College Football News dug into the matchup and offered a prediction on how each could win:
Why USC beats Iowa
USC isn’t a one-trick pony. We know that they have a lethal passing attack that can air it out with the best of them in college football. If Iowa takes that away with the game plan or due to the weather, the Trojans have a ground game that can churn out yards. The Hawkeyes looked susceptible to the run last week, and you can expect USC to try and exploit that.
The Hawkeyes lost the two times they dealt with anyone with any sort of firepower – Indiana and Oregon. Granted, they kept both attacks from going off, but …
Both of those games were in Iowa City.
USC is a completely different team at home. It struggled in wins over Nebraska and Purdue on the road, lost Notre Dame and Illinois, and won all five games by two touchdowns or more in LA.
The difference has been in the rushing yards. The ground game worked fine at Nebraska, but at home, it goes off, averaging way over seven yards per carry – the Trojans ran for well over 200 yards against Michigan.
Iowa’s run defense is a different animal, but.. – Fiutak, CFN
Why Iowa beats USC
If it’s raining and this thing turns into a slugfest, the Hawkeyes would feel right back at home despite being halfway across the country. Iowa isn’t going to let USC have anything easy. The Hawkeyes want to turn this into a fistfight and find out if the Trojans can beat them playing Iowa’s way.
It’s Iowa. It’s going to be in the game until the end, because that’s what it does, and this year, it’s gone full Iowa.The two turnovers were a problem against Oregon, but once again, penalties weren’t an issue in any way …
One. That’s how many times the nation’s best team, when it comes to fewest penalties, got flagged. It’s not going to beat itself and give USC anything easy to work with.The pass rush might not be anything great, but it’s okay – the D is doing a good enough job of getting off the field with just enough bending without breaking. The other line is taking care of keeping control of games.
The Hawkeyes don’t give up a ton of sacks, and with this bunch, it’s all about yards per carry. Iowa 6-0 when running for more than 3.5 yards per carry. USC has allowed that many or more in every game but the wins over Missouri State and Purdue. – Fiutak, CFN
Who will win Iowa vs. USC?
Iowa looked more vulnerable against the run than they have in some time last week when Oregon continued to chunk them for big gains all night. Sure, Iowa bent and didn’t often break, but USC has the firepower to capitalize on a defense that bends.
Oregon ran for 261 yards and averaged over seven yards per carry last week against the Hawkeyes.
The Iowa style sort of travels, but wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers are nothing compared to going to USC and dealing with this high-powered attack. The Trojans will bring out the Hawkeye offensive pop – Mark Gronowski will throw a bit more – but the pace will get too fast.
USC will pass a key test before the showdown at Oregon. – Fiutak, CFN
Iowa vs. USC Prediction
Prediction: USC 27, Iowa 20
If USC starts to put up points, the pressure for this game turns to Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski, who proved he is more than comfortable and extremely capable in pressure moments, as evidenced by the 12-play, 93-yard drive he constructed against Oregon to take the lead. Should this game come down to the final few minutes, Iowa is ready, and whether you want to believe it or not, it has to break the Hawkeyes’ way at some point.
Iowa vs. USC Takeaways
This is a chance for Iowa to rally together. So often, this team comes together after tough losses and rattles off a winning streak to remind everyone who they are. This team is more talented than quite a few Iowa teams in the past, and don’t expect the Hawkeyes to be sleepwalking when they kick off on Saturday. This game means a lot to Iowa; it means a lot to the players, and it means a lot to Kirk Ferentz, who will have his squad ready to go.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: College Football News predicts Iowa Hawkeyes vs. USC
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