USC Trojans vs. Texas Longhorns 2018: Betting Odds, Prediction In Battle Of Traditional Football Powers

The No. 22 USC Trojans (1-1) look to rebound from a hard loss, while the Texas Longhorns (1-1) seek just their second win against a ranked opponent under head coach Tom Herman, when the two famed programs meet Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

USC is coming off a 17-3 defeat to then-No.10 Stanford in Palo Alto, California, after winning the season opener over UNLV, 43-21. Stanford's defense frustrated USC's attack, limiting the Trojans to just 332 total yards.

Freshman quarterback J.T. Daniels will attempt to bounce back from a disappointing performance against the Cardinal when he plays his first game outside of California. Daniels threw two interceptions and completed just 16 of his 34 pass attempts for 215 yards.

Clay Helton may need a stronger effort from the offensive line. Daniels seemed to rush some passes because of pressure from Stanford's front seven and the USC running game managed just 114 yards on 37 carries.

Texas got their season off to a rocky start with a 34-29 loss to Maryland. Texas turned the ball over three times in the final six minutes and had 10 penalties for 102 yards.

The Longhorns picked up a 28-21 home win against Tulsa last week, though it wasn't a convincing performance. The Golden Hurricane clawed back in the second half after trailing 21-0 at halftime.

Texas has run the ball well this season but might be without freshman running back Keaontay Ingram, who is doubtful to play due to a knee injury. Tre Watson and Daniel Young will likely be called upon to pick up the slack in Ingram's absence.

The Longhorns may have some trouble moving the ball against a strong USC defense.

"They’re athletic at every position, even their big guys are athletic," Herman said of USC's defense. "Their ends when they’re in nickel are really kind of outside linebacker hybrid-type guys so they’re quick, they’re agile and they’re physical."

Herman has just a 1-4 record against ranked opponents as the coach of Texas.

In 2017, USC held off Texas with a double-overtime win at the Coliseum, 27-24.

The two schools are among college football's most successful programs. USC has won 39 conference titles, while Texas has won 32.

Betting Odds: Texas favored by 3.5 points; over/under is 46.5 points

Prediction: This has the look of an upset. USC will likely run more creative plays than what they showed against Stanford, utilizing their speed to quickly move the ball. Texas may need to force turnovers if they expect to keep this game close. Expect the Trojans' defense to give Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger some problems.

USC over Texas, 33-21