Can Colorado beat USC in Week 5? Analyzing the roadblocks for Deion Sanders' team against Caleb Williams
The Colorado Buffaloes have an uphill battle as they host the eighth-ranked USC Trojans on Saturday.
They're coming into the game without Travis Hunter and have wide receiver Xavier Weaver on the injury report, but there are still opportunities for the program to pull off a major upset.
As per the sportsbooks, the Buffaloes are 21.5-point home underdogs. However, the team has been a massive underdog before and won games outright. They have a lot of talent. So, coach Deion Sanders needs to make sure he puts his players in position to pull off arguably the upset of the season.
What do the Buffaloes need to do to win against one of the top national championship contenders? Let's dive into a couple of things they need to work on.
Can Colorado beat USC in Week 5?
The answer to this question is quite diplomatic. One of the major concerns for the Colorado Buffaloes has been their offensive line.
While junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been playing incredibly well, he has been getting hit way too much. In the first four games of the season, Sanders has been sacked 22 times.
While the Trojans defense is not necessarily known for doing well, they have recorded 16 sacks this season, including senior defensive end Solomon Byrd recording 4.5 sacks.
They're going to need to scheme up front how to give Sanders time in the pocket to make things work if they want to have a chance in this game.
Just get a couple of stops throughout the game
This USC Trojans offense is the best in the nation and going up against an elite offense is difficult.
When Colorado faced Oregon last week, they allowed a touchdown on six of the first seven defensive possessions, but, obviously, that's not going to work. Having that opportunity to see an incredible offense means the Buffaloes won't fly blind for this game.
Caleb Williams is going to torch the defense, as he's the best player in college football. However, forcing a punt or two or a field goal instead of a touchdown would be massive. The USC defense is not great and can give up points, so a few stops would be a massive win and a chance to pull off the home upset.