5 questions with USC expert

To learn more about Oregon State's upcoming opponent, BeaversEdge.com chatted with TrojanSports.com publisher Ryan Young, who covers the USC Trojans. Check out the Q&A below!

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Incredibly disappointing for the fan base and incredibly frustrating for the coaching staff. Nothing has gone as planned or hoped for either party. It's not just that USC is 4-4. What has fans so apoplectic is that the Trojans have looked uncompetitive in their biggest games -- getting totally shut down by Stanford and run off the field by Texas and Utah. Losing at home last week to Arizona State and seeing that 19-game home winning streak snapped was the latest deflating blow.

For the coaching staff, they have seemed at a loss for answers -- unable to figure out why the running game is too often non-existent, why the defense suddenly can't tackle, why the offensive line reverses strengths and weaknesses from one week to the next, etc. Ultimately, USC has put way too much on the shoulders of true freshman quarterback JT Daniels while not setting him up for success for the aforementioned reasons. Add mounting injuries to the equation -- top pass-rusher Porter Gustin is out for the season, middle linebacker Cam Smith missed the last two games, stalwart safety Marvell Tell was out last week, USC has lost four scholarship safeties for various reasons, etc. -- and it's truly been a mess of a season.

That's the big unknown. There are those that believe Helton has been more primarily involved in play-calling this season than he's let on. He's acknowledged that he's called 3-4 plays a game when he sees something. But I have to believe there will be a difference now that he's formally taken over -- that doesn't ensure improvement, but it should look differently. Helton commented this week that the great thing about calling plays as a head coach is there's no fear to take risks, so I expect him to be even more aggressive than they've been -- and this has been a pretty aggressive offense despite its general struggles. I'd look for more gadget plays, a heavy dose of downfield passing, etc. But unless Helton can get the run game going, ultimately nothing will change dramatically for the unit.

Jack Sears surely surprised a lot of people last Saturday in his USC debut, but I think there has been a bit of an overreaction for Sears and against Daniels. The last two games we've seen offer skewed perspectives on each. Daniels was done in by a terrific Utah defense two weeks ago in a game in which USC was dominated in every phase. That was not a conducive situation within which to succeed. Sears, meanwhile, played two great quarters after the Trojans were already playing from behind against a respectable but beatable Arizona State defense. I still side with the coaching staff that Daniels offers the most long-term and short-term upside. Helton has not wavered on that point, making it clear Daniels is the starter if healthy -- and all indications are that is indeed the case and he'll be good to go this week.

I think the Trojans are going to struggle defensively the rest of the season. They've lost too many key players and have too many glaring shortcomings. Porter Gustin was USC's only truly consistent pass rusher, and he's lost for the season. We don't know what percentage middle linebacker Cam Smith is at this week as he deals with knee and hamstring injuries. And freshman safety Talanoa Hufanga, thrust into a starting role after USC lost three other safeties (one to injury, one to suspension and one to transfer), is now out for the season as well. They have zero depth there and look intent to go with nickel Ajene Harris at safety. Harris is not a great tackler and is now tasked with replacing a guy who had 11 tackles last week. On top of that, USC's left cornerback spot is a major vulnerability and opponents recognize that. Whereas USC was built to lean on its defense early in the season, I think it now has to hope the offense can carry the team the rest of the way -- and that's a major question mark.

Excuse me if I'm not entirely swayed by Oregon State's win last week, albeit a nice showing for the Beavers. My confidence level in the Trojans is low the rest of the way, but this one I think they pull out. I'll take USC, 41-31. For all their flaws, the Trojans have offensive playmakers and should be able to feast against a defense giving up a lot of points. It's when they're confronted with a tough defense that can truly make them one-dimensional that they struggle. I don't anticipate that happening this week. Therefore, I think USC comes out of this game with an inflated confidence about its new offensive direction while getting a much-needed win.