After years of absurdity of absurdity #Afterdark from the PAC-12 conference, USC hoped that moving to Big Ten could help launch most of these bizarre at midnight from its calendar.
Of course, Geographic Sense only counts in university football when there are millions to be made from diffusion rights. Fox had the third choice this week among the networks and chose the best game available. This is why the USC and Michigan State will start at 8 p.m. on Saturday. This means that in East Lansing, Michigan, the game should wrap somewhere around 2:30 a.m.
There were two kicks of this type in the Big Ten last season, and only one which included a team that jumps three time zones in the west. The USC won this match at 8 p.m. against Rutgers at the start of the Jayden Maiava quarter.
The Spartans arrived in Los Angeles Thursday to give them a lot of time to acclimatize. Jonathan Smith, who previously trained in Oregon State, understands what a late kick -off needs. However, you can understand why the state of Michigan may not be delighted with the prospect of playing so late.
The USC will have its own time to come back to meet next week, when it starts at 9 a.m. in a road match with Illinois. This weekend, the biggest question for the USC will be if the fans are well rested – or not at all.
“The two teams must face it,” said coach Lincoln Riley. “We have to manage this well, our crowd must manage that. At the end of the day, it’s a game, it is played, it is playing the Colosseum, and we expect to win and we expect to have a very good crowd behind us. We are not going to make excluded on this subject.”
Here are four things to look at while the USC takes Michigan State:
Trojan horses take on the air
Few quarters of university football began the season with a frantic pace that Jayden Maiava has succeeded for three weeks. MAIAVA displays on average more than 14 yards per attempt – most of all quarter -rear in the country with three complete yards – while filling 68% of its passes, an improvement of almost 10% compared to last season.
There is no reason to think that this trend will not continue against the state of Michigan.
Spartans rank 118th in the country – and worse in the Big Ten – in defense of pass, and it is after having played teams like Youngstown State and Western Michigan. They have not yet seen as the temporary offensive of the USC, and in particular the receiver Makai Lemon, who ranks behind Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State in the yards to be received (315-311) this season in Big Ten.
Michigan State has been stingy this season against the race, so it could be difficult to find a lot of pace on the field. This means a great potential game for Maiava.
Will pass pass pass continue to drive?
For three games, the USC’s rejuvenated pass actually leads the nation In the bags with 14. Michigan State, for his part, allowed the two second bags of any Big Ten team this season.
This formula could mean a long afternoon for the Spartan quarter Aidan Chiles, who said that Riley said that this week poses “the biggest challenge that we have faced so far” in this position. The native of Long Beach seems to assemble all this as a smuggler, but it is the capacity of the double threat of the Chiles who could be particularly dangerous against one before four that was aggressive at the start of the season.
He is tied at the head of the conference in advanced attempts among the quarter-rear at 10 per game.
“When you add chile athletics, this definitely adds an entirely new element,” said Riley. “So it will be a great focus for us to be able to keep it in the pocket, to contain it in there.”
In case of high pressure, the peppers were much less effective. Its percentage of completion goes from 79% in a pocket specific to 48% per pressure pressure.
Turjoons receiver status
The two teams could be without its most dynamic passes sensor on Saturday.
USC Wideout Ja’kobi Lane, the Big Ten leader from last year in the receptions of Touché, is questionable after sitting on training on Wednesday. Riley would not comment if he would be available for the game.
Likewise, the status of the Spartan receiver Nick Marsh was in the air on Friday. Marsh made the trip to Los Angeles, despite an injury to the lower leg. He is by far the most dynamic weapon of the state of Michigan and his absence would be important if he could not go.
Tanook Hines Breakout Game Entering?
With Lane hindered, keep an eye on the hines of Freshman Tanook, which dropped a superb acrobatic grip last Saturday in Purdue.
Riley delighted about the first year earlier this week.
“He goes after the ball with a unique state of mind for a first -year student,” said Riley. “You are talking about a guy who really attacks the ball. He played physical. He is a very good blocker. He did a good job to pick up our system. … He is an all-ball guy. There are no stuffed animals for this guy. He is an upset and hard competitor.”
