From CBS Sports
While the Pac-10 champion won’t be crowned in Saturday’s top-10 matchup at Oregon, Southern California’s conference title hopes would all but end with a loss.
The fourth-ranked Trojans look to stay in the hunt for an eighth consecutive league title and shore up some defensive breakdowns when they visit the 10th-ranked Ducks and their prolific offense.
In less than two months, Oregon (6-1, 4-0) has made a season that could have become defined by an embarrassing loss at Boise State – and LeGarrette Blount’s infamous punch – into one with a chance to win its first Pac-10 title since 2001.
Riding a six-game winning streak, the Ducks, off to their best conference start since opening the 2000 season with seven straight league wins, stand alone atop the Pac-10.
Their lead is hardly safe.
USC (6-1, 3-1) and Arizona are tied for second, and either team could take the conference crown by winning out.
“Our conference is as tough right now, as I’m seeing it, as I’ve ever seen,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “The team that makes it through it on top is going to be really good.”
The Trojans have owned at least a share of the Pac-10 title each season since Oregon last won it, but they’ll likely be out of the running should they lose this weekend.
To avoid that fate, USC’s defense will likely need to improve upon its performance from last Saturday’s 42-36 win over Oregon State.
The Trojans allowed the Beavers to roll up 482 yards of total offense, the most yielded by USC since giving up 556 yards to Texas in a 41-38 Rose Bowl loss following the 2005 season.
It was also the second straight shaky defensive effort for USC, which gave up 367 total yards in a 34-27 defeat at then-No. 25 Notre Dame on Oct. 17. The Trojans allowed an average of 8.6 points and 238.6 yards in their first five games. (Read more.)
