ESPN’s SP+ predicts the score of USC’s Cotton Bowl matchup with Tulane
The tenth-ranked USC Trojans (11-2) will face the 16th-ranked Tulane Green Wave (11-2) in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Monday to close out a wildly successful first year under coach Lincoln Riley.
USC will be without several key pieces on the offensive side of the football — wideout Jordan Addison and guard Andrew Vorhees — but it expects to have Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams.
Tulane has a top-25 offense in terms of both scoring and per-play efficiency. It’s a game built around an RPO-based rushing attack.
A tough showing for USC’s defense back in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 4 and an injury that significantly impacted Williams’ ability to leave his mark on the game left USC feeling like it let one get away.
The Trojans, as Riley has said throughout the week leading up to the game, want to look more like the team that fought its way to a nearly-perfect regular season.
Bill Connelly’s SP+ sees things going the way of the Trojans.
The predictive model is picking USC to win 34-30.
Kickoff is set for 10 a.m. PT on ESPN.