College football: Pac-12 powerhouses Stanford, USC face off

SAN FRANCISCO - Stanford as a comfortable favorite against USC doesn't even seem weird anymore. These days, it is more notable when the Trojans beat the Cardinal.

No school has won more Pac-12 football championships than USC (38, more than double second place), but Stanford has won three of the past four titles. Right now, the Cardinal are the conference's standard-bearer and the Trojans are trying to chase them down.

USC (1-1) enters Saturday's game on the Farm as a nine-point underdog to the seventh-ranked Cardinal (1-0), looking for an upset to lift the program out of a malaise and bring some positive feelings to a team that has dealt with a ton of negativity.

Stanford has stepped on USC during its climb to the top of the Pac-12, using victories against the Trojans to lay the foundation for one of the best programs in the country. It started in 2007 with a startling upset of the Trojans as a 39-point underdog under Jim Harbaugh. Stanford then ripped off four straight victories against USC from 2009-12.

“Two talented teams who get after it, with a lot of mutual respect,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “It's an emotional game every time.”

USC seemed to have restored order to the rivalry, which it leads 61-31-3 overall, with victories in 2013 and ‘14. Then the Cardinal swept the Trojans last season, including a rout in the Pac-12 championship game.

“It's not like they were just pounding us,” USC safety Chris Hawkins said. “In the second game, they physically beat us, but in the first game, if you look at the tape, we were giving it to them as much as they could handle.”

True, but let that settle in. USC was able to hang with Stanford. USC is not that far behind Stanford. This is the Pac-12's new normal.

Things to know as Stanford attempts to keep the Trojans in its rearview mirror.

TWO QBS: Max Browne is the starter for USC and Ryan Burns is No. 1 for Stanford, but it is likely both backups will get some time. More likely with the Trojans, where Sam Darnold provides a different look with his ability to run. Keller Chryst doesn't necessarily change Stanford's approach, but Shaw has said he'll get his chances.

WILD CAFF: McCaffrey had 700 all-purpose yards in two games against USC last season, including 461 in the Pac-12 championship game. The Heisman runner-up was everywhere in the title game with 207 yards rushing and 105 yards receiving.

“Usually you see a runner or you see a receiver,” Helton said. “When you have got the combination of both, you got to make a decision on what you are going to do. Are you going to load the box and play man coverage in 1-on-1 situations, or are you going to play back and play more zone coverage and all of a sudden they are running the ball with those big linemen.”

The 5 p.m. nationally televised game gives McCaffrey the chance to show his stuff to those early-to-bed Heisman voters.