Colorado and USC play at Noon ET Saturday on FOX
Saturday’s matchup between USC and Colorado will feature two of the most interesting coaches in college football and two Heisman Trophy contenders in Caleb Williams and Shedeur Sanders.
USC is coming off a win over Arizona State, and Colorado lost big on the road against Oregon. How both teams come out of the gate at Noon ET in Boulder will be interesting.
Former Washington State quarterback great Ryan Leaf has his eye on the Trojans' defense.
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Ryan Leaf walks off the field before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia State Panthers Aug. 31, 2019, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. (Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"I think there’s an opportunity for Colorado simply because of what USC puts on the field for defense, and that’s always been the case with Lincoln Riley-coached teams," Leaf said Wednesday on OutKick’s "Hot Mic w/Hutton & Withrow." "The defense is just a bit porous. (USC defensive coordinator) Alex Grinch, unfortunately, kind of has that laid at his feet. But he does get too complicated in his scheme I feel like.
"When he’s got the talent and the athletes, I think, to get there without making things too complicated. And when he does, he tends to run guys out of position. Gaps are open. Guys are running free around the field. We saw that at Arizona State. Now, (Arizona State head) coach (Kenny) Dillingham can really scheme it up offensively too, so that presented a problem."
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Shedeur Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes on the field against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium Sept. 23, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
Leaf said he believes Colorado’s coaching staff will come out with a good game plan on offense, but if the Buffaloes are looking for a shootout with the high-powered USC offense, it might be a long day.
"I think (Colorado offensive coordinator) Sean Lewis will have a good game plan," Leaf added. "I do think if there’s a team like USC coming to town that you can score with, Colorado’s that team. Unfortunately, you’re not going to be able to score with USC. They may be able to hang with them. They’re not gonna win, but I don’t know if it necessarily gets the 21.5 points that people are talking about."
A win for Colorado would refuel the hype around the Deion Sanders-led squad.
SiriusXM host Ryan Leaf attends SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVI Feb. 10, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
A victory for USC would be another step for the Trojans on the road to the College Football Playoff.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
