Dan Lanning’s Oregon is on a roll with four consecutive wins since its 30–20 loss to Indiana, which also happens to be its only loss so far. Despite that, for this weekend’s Oregon vs. USC game, NFL legend and three-time Super Bowl champion Randy Cross favors USC. But the HC doesn’t seem to buy that, knowing his team’s potential despite the injury setbacks.

On Wednesday, Oregon beat writer Zachary Neel shared Lanning’s take on the Ducks’ next challenge. “I’ve found that teams that practice not to get hurt are the teams that get hurt most of the times,” said Lanning. “Football can be a dangerous sport, there’s going to be injuries that exist at some times. We have to be able to handle those.” In short, injuries have been piling up late in the season for the Ducks, but Lanning isn’t worried, as he believes it’s not going to stop them from being physical in practice, according to Neel.

While this could be the ‘key’ to keeping their winning streak alive, the injuries have really hit them hard. Although Lanning stayed tight-lipped, offering no updates on the injured players this week, the game against Minnesota sparked some potential misses. Their top two WRs, Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorien Moore, missed that game with knee and ankle injuries. To cap it off, Oregon also played without DT Tionne Gray and LB Devon Jackson, both listed as questionable.

Still, there was enough spark to beat the Golden Gophers. QB Dante Moore sliced up Minnesota’s defense with laser-sharp precision, throwing for 306 yards and two TDs while hitting 27 of his 30 passes. While Moore’s first TD came on a beautiful throw to Kenyon Sadiq, his second TD was a controversial but incredible TD pass to Jeremiah McClellan. With that, the Ducks seem to have an advantage in the game against USC, as strength comes on both sides of the ball. While Oregon’s offense ranks 11th nationally with 475.4 YPG, they have the No. 3 defense in the FBS.

Yet, the Trojans seem a winner to Cross. “I’d have easily picked Oregon in this matchup, but this SC team, I think, is just a little different than the past ones. I think they come in, I think they win this game,” he said on CBS’s Inside CFB Show. “Not easily, but they go in there and I don’t care if it’s raining, I don’t care if it’s sunny, SC is gonna win.”

After three straight wins since the loss to Notre Dame, the Trojans have turned into an offensive buzzsaw. They rank No. 6 in the nation while they’re piling up 488.9 YPG behind junior QB Jayden Maiava. The B1G’s top passer is slinging it for 286.8 YPG with 18 TDs. Then there’s Makai Lemon. He leads the conference with 71 catches and 1,090 yards. Seeing such numbers, even Lanning praised this O-line.

“I think this is one of the best receiving cores we’ve seen since we’ve been here. And their quarterback is playing at a really high level as well. They have schemes that challenge you,” said Dan Lanning. “They do a good job moving the guys around, making it tough to be able to figure out where they’re at. So, it’s a real challenge for us.”

Still, there’s enough hope for Lanning’s crew to crack this matchup wide open, as analysts agree it’s a tough test for both Oregon and USC.

Dan Lanning’s Oregon’s chance to win

Oregon enters the weekend with the edge. ESPN’s FPI has the Ducks sitting at No. 3 in the B1G hierarchy with a 23.8 rating, far ahead of USC’s 19.0. Although the Trojans may have climbed to 8-2 after a comeback win over Iowa, walking into Eugene as a 9.5-point underdog is no small hill.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are holding a clear playoff path, and Dan Lanning knows the way to win, as last season, Lanning led Oregon to a 13-0 regular season record, earning the No. 1 seed in the CFP. Still, Lincoln Riley’s squad isn’t rolling over.

USC has clawed back to No. 15 in the playoff rankings. While Maiava’s air attack is scorching, Ja’Kobi Lane and Lemon are uncoverable at times. If the Trojans win out, they’ll be right on the edge of the playoff conversation.

But their biggest problem is the one Oregon loves to exploit: a shaky road run defense that already cost them at Illinois and Notre Dame. Yes, Oregon’s ground game, powered by Noah Whittington and Jordon Davison, has been a wrecking ball all season.

If Lanning controls the trenches, the Ducks assert that the playoff door is already half-open for them. But USC’s offense will not make the win a walk in the park, as they average around 488.9 YPG, which ranks them in the top three in FBS. We’ll see who wins the game when the final whistle blows.