Photo Courtesy: Dinur
By DaVince “Dino” Wright
Game Info
#16 Tulane Green Wave vs #10 USC Trojans
Monday – January 2 – 12:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN
AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Records Before the Game
#16 Tulane Green Wave (11-2)
#10 USC Trojans (11-2)
This game will settle all of the chatter that surrounds the Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley. Some fans around the country couldn’t believe that Riley would ever leave Norman, Oklahoma. Well, he’s 11-2 in his first year in LA and he’s once again captured the Heisman Trophy. #16 Tulane has shocked the football world by winning the American Athletic Conference by avenging an earlier loss in the season to UCF by defeating them 45-28 for the conference title. This game will be closer than anyone expects. Let’s take a closer look at this year’s Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas.
#16 Tulane Green Wave
The Green Wave is 4-1 in their last 5 games. They have wins over Central Florida, Cincinnati, SMU and Tulsa. The lone loss was to #22 Central Florida, 38-31. Looking at this list one would think that the teams they beat are top tier schools. The Green Wave offense is averaging 35.2 points per game while the defense is giving up 20.5 points to opposition. Quarterback Michael Pratt is a junior who will be returning for his senior season. He has 2776 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Keep an eye on running back Tyjae Spears. He is the workhorse for the Green Wave. When Pratt decides to air it out he has several capable receivers to choose from, but I recommend keeping an eye on Shae Wyatt and Duece Watts. They’ll come up big in clutch situations for the Green Wave. The defense will be challenged by the Trojans high octane offense. Tulane will need to keep the ball in front of the secondary otherwise deep passes for big gains and touchdowns will take place.
#10 USC Trojans
The Trojans are riding high again. Over the past 5 years the Trojans were in a word, “mediocre” as a team. Now the Trojans are looking to win the Cotton Bowl this season. The Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman and is looking forward to playing in Dallas. Remember he played quarterback at OU last season. He’s very familiar with the Metroplex and will be comfortable in AT&T Stadium. Wide receiver Jordan Addison (injury) will be missed. He has 875 receiving yards with 8 touchdowns and averages 14.8 yards a reception. That’s a chunk of offense that will need to be replaced. Perhaps receivers Tahj Washington and Mario Williams will step up and fill the void. WR Kyle Ford will be the safety valve for QB Williams when needed. He’s a physical specimen with good height and strength. Look for Senior Austin Jones to get more than expected carries in this one due to Caleb Williams still not 100%. The Trojans defense will have a tough time stopping the Green Wave. The second half of the season shows that USC gives up a slew of points to opposing offenses. I think this trend will continue in this year’s Cotton Bowl game.
Prediction
ESPN has the Trojans with a 58.2% chance of winning. This is clearly saying that the Green Wave has a chance of stealing this game. Keep an eye on the Green Wave defense. I’m taking USC by 4!
Final Score
#10 Trojans – 32
#16 Green Wave – 28
