USC (3-3, 1-2) vs. Stanford (4-2, 4-0)

* Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Coliseum, Channel 7.

* Story line: USC will be in dire straits if it loses a third consecutive game after blowing leads in three losses already. Stanford is unbeaten in the Pacific 10, but even Las Vegas oddsmakers don’t think that should translate into a victory over USC.

* USC update: The Trojans have a bad habit of beating themselves and have lost three games by a total of 11 points. Quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst has played better than the Trojans could have hoped in place of injured Carson Palmer, but the offense has struggled with fits and starts: Maybe a Stanford defense that is last in the Pac-10 at 33 points and 454 yards a game is the cure.

* Stanford update: Rose Bowl bound? Stanford will earn its first New Year’s Day in Pasadena since 1972 with victories in its last four Pac-10 games. The defense isn’t strong, but Stanford leads the league in scoring at more than 37 points a game, and receivers Troy Walters and DeRonnie Pitts are one of the top duos in the nation. Walters, who holds the conference record for receiving yards in a career, is 10 catches from the record for receptions.

* Edge to USC: In a matchup of weakness against weakness, the Trojan offense has enough skill and speed to take advantage of the Stanford defense.

* Line: USC by 7 1/2.