UCLA @ Southern California preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 4, 2010 ) Southern California 28, UCLA 14

THE STORY: UCLA won big Friday without lacing up its cleats. The Bruins clinched the South Division title and a trip to the inaugural Pac-12 championship game when Utah was stunned by Colorado 17-14. The Bruins should send the Buffaloes a Christmas card because UCLA will be a two-touchdown underdog against USC at the L.A. Coliseum on Saturday, and earning the division title itself would have been extremely difficult. USC has won the last four meetings and 11 of the last 12. USC leads the South by one game over UCLA, but is ineligible for postseason play because of NCAA sanctions. The Trojans are coming off a 38-35 upset victory over Oregon and have won three straight as quarterback Matt Barkley has become a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

TV: FSN. LINE: USC -14

ABOUT UCLA (6-5, 5-3 Pac-12 South): The Bruins win a tiebreaker with Arizona State because of their 29-28 victory over the Sun Devils on Nov. 5. UCLA has endured a rollercoaster season but is playing its best football with three wins in their last four games. The Bruins are 1-4 on the road and last beat USC 13-9 in 2006. USC has won the past four meetings by at least 14 points, but none have been high-scoring affairs. USC's 28-14 victory last year was the highest scoring game among the last five meetings.

ABOUT USC (9-2, 6-2): While Andrew Luck is still the heavy favorite for the Heisman, no one has played better than Barkley down the stretch. All signs point to Barkley leaving for the NFL after the game and if he does so, he will go on a high note. Barkley has 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions on the year while throwing for more than 3,000 yards. USC has averaged more than 40 points in its last four games and ranks 29th in the nation in points. While the Trojans have certainly been the better of the two teams all year long, it is important to note that even if USC was eligible to play in the conference championship, it would still have needed to beat UCLA to earn its spot.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. UCLA will play at Oregon or Stanford in the Pac-12 title game on Dec. 2.

2. USC ranks 100th in the nation defending the pass, but the Bruins have had little success throwing the ball this season.

3. UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince was held to 90 yards passing against the Trojans two years ago and also had two interceptions in the 28-7 loss. Prince missed last year’s game with a knee injury.

PREDICTION: USC 30, UCLA 21 - The Bruins have been totally unpredictable, but they just don’t have the offensive firepower to hang with the Trojans.