USC-Oregon @ The 9-0: Pregame

It's dawn in Troy.

Actually, it's almost noon -- but it's hard for people on a college campus to wake up on Saturdays for an away game (especially when you're a three-point 'dog).

In case you're wondering, Trojan country doesn't seem to follow the same odds as Vegas. USC seems to be an 18+ point favorite around here (our waitress pegged the final score at 35-16). If you want to win some cash, this is the place to be.

This is a good opportunity to catch up on the other USC football team. The Women of Troy hopped a bus over to Westwood last night to take on the nation's consensus #1 soccer squad. Neither team had lost in their last 10 games, and USC had recently surged to #2 in one of the major polls.

USC held the momentum early, but couldn't produce anything on the scoreboard. It looked like this rivalry could be headed for a fourth straight overtime result after a scoreless first half. Instead, UCLA found the net shortly after the restart, and buried a second far-post shot in the 65th minute. It was the first time the Trojans had allowed more than one goal in regulation this season.

USC made a couple more runs at the Bruins' defense, but UCLA's keeper, Valarie Henderson, handled all five legit shots during the game for a 2-0 shutout. At least around USC this morning, people seem blissfully unaware of the result.

Attendance was listed at an impressive 3,345 (many times what USC gets at home games), but I'm skeptical that many stuck around for the women's game. The Bruins had a double-header, with the men's match delaying the start of the women's. You may remember the UCLA men suffered such a giant upset in last year's NCAA title game that students at UCSB stole their own goal and threw it off a cliff onto the beach.