Big Ten season preview: Oregon-Ohio State on November 7 looms large

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USC football won't play on Saturday, November 7. The Trojans will have two weeks to prepare for their Big Ten game against defending national champion Indiana on November 14. The team can sit on the couch and watch a gigantic Big Ten battle which may or may not affect USC's College Football Playoff odds. Oregon versus Ohio State on November 7 will command national attention.

The obvious USC storyline attached to this game is simple but profound: The Trojans will have played both the Ducks and Buckeyes before Oregon and Ohio State meet. What will the Big Ten standings look like? What will the Big Ten playoff picture look like when the Ducks and Bucks battle?

Obviously, if USC loses to both Oregon and Ohio State, the Trojans' interest level in this game will be diminished, but if USC beats one of the two teams, that team (the one USC defeats) will be in a very urgent position going into November 7. The Trojans, if they are tied with Oregon or Ohio State going into November 7, are guaranteed to lead the loser going into USC's November 14 game at Indiana.

The essential point to make about Oregon-Ohio State on November 7 is simple from a USC perspective: The Trojans simply have to beat at least one of these teams for this game's outcome to matter to the Men of Troy and everyone who roots for them.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten season preview: Oregon-Ohio State on November 7 looms large

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