USC’s future dims quickly
Suddenly, the future is not so bright for Southern California and its star quarterback, Matt Barkley.
The reality of the Trojans’ first loss – 21-14 at Stanford on Saturday – bites for a lot of bettors, too. The other side of the story is several bookmakers are breathing a sigh of relief, because USC was the hottest ticket on the futures market going into the college football season.
LVH sports book director Jay Kornegay said the Trojans attracted three times as many tickets as the second-most popular team to win the Bowl Championship Series title. The odds on USC opened at 8-1, dropped to 3-1 and now have been adjusted to 12-1.
“It’s certainly not the end of their year, but they have got a long, uphill battle to win the national championship,” Kornegay said. “I wouldn’t throw your ticket on the floor yet, but you might want a backup plan.”
Alabama is the new 9-5 favorite, followed by Louisiana State at 3-1 and Florida State and Oregon each at 8-1.
Stanford’s upset of USC, which was a 9-point favorite, also knocked Barkley from the lead role in the Heisman Trophy race. Barkley turned down the NFL to return for a chance to win the national title as a senior, but his hopes appear shot.
Still, it’s only September, and the BCS chase always takes surprising twists and turns into late November or early December, so don’t count out the Trojans yet.
Alabama must maneuver the Southeastern Conference schedule, including a trip to LSU on Nov. 3. Florida State is 3-0 but untested. Every contender has tricky games remaining.
“A team with one loss can get back into it,” The Gold Sheet handicapper Bruce Marshall said. “I don’t think USC is dead, because if you’re going to lose a game, you can lose it early and still get into the national title picture.”
His outlook for USC is far from optimistic, however. It’s worth recalling that in late August it was Marshall who said, “I think there is a danger in getting too in love with a team too early. The hype with USC is a little over the top.”
Marshall (Goldsheet.com) also picked Stanford to win last week’s game, so he never shared the betting public’s love affair with the Trojans. He questioned their flawed offensive line and the leadership of Lane Kiffin, who voted his team No. 1 in the coaches’ poll.
“Kiffin is getting exposed. He is not a great coach,” Marshall said. “It’s hard to envision USC not losing a couple of games. I see the potential for multiple losses out there.”
The Pacific-12 Conference is proving to be tougher than expected, and even if the Trojans (2-1) reach November with one loss, they finish with Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA, Notre Dame and a possible rematch with the Ducks in the conference title game.
“The Trojans are not going to beat Oregon, UCLA can beat them, and Notre Dame has got a real shot,” Marshall said. “It’s extremely unlikely that they run the table.”
Bookmakers such as Kornegay no longer are sweating their futures liability on USC.
As for bettors, it’s probably wise to have a backup plan, and a big ticket on Alabama appears to be a good one.
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
