USC at BYU: What to Expect?

After two solid efforts against once-powerful teams in the midst of low points in their respective programs, the Trojans come up against what most agree is

their most potentially-dangerous opponent tonight at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. But tonight's game provides nothing if not uncertainty.

For your consideration--you have the Cougars season-opener, where they bested Notre Dame 20-17 at home; the same Notre Dame team who went on to defeat

then-No.7 team Michigan. But the Cougars followed their impressive opening game with a 37-0 loss to recent Pac-10 whipping boy Stanford, making it all the

more difficult to get a clear read on the strength of this Brigham Young team.

Add into the mix a BYU defense that plays a 3-3-5 scheme that gave then-unseasoned quarterback Matt Leinart fits (to the tune of three interceptions) at the

Coliseum last season, and you definitely have the potential for a tougher game than many Trojan fans are probably expecting.

Of course, with a hearty helping of touchdowns, wins, and even a National Championship under his belt since he last saw the BYU defense, not to mention a

slew of emerging offensive talents, from Reggie Bush and LenDale White to Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett, there's also a pretty decent chance that Matt

Leinart will more than redeem himself tonight in tonight's 7pm (Pacific) matchup.

5 hours or so 'til kickoff....be sure to tune in to ESPN to catch all the action.