There are many reasons why USC fans want to win this game.
But one of the biggest reasons is De'Anthony Thomas.
We all know the Thomas saga in how he decommitted at the last minute from USC to commit to Oregon.
There have been many rumors about what exactly went down...Rumors of Snoop Dog delivering Thomas in exchange for Nike funding Snoop's youth football team, rumors of gang threats etc.
Who knows, but many thought that the way that Thomas went about it was dishonest.
There were rumors that USC saw Thomas as a CB but Kiffin debunked that today on today's Pac-12 conference call.
Thomas is an explosive player, no question. He has been fun to watch when he isn't putting the ball on the turf. Kiffin compared his explosiveness to Reggie Bush. Maybe, but until Thomas single-handily changes the direct outcome of a game with his talent I will hold off on making those comparisons.
That being said, if you like watching college football then you to like watching De'Anthony Thomas perform on the field.
Thomas certainly has a special talent, you can't deny that. That is why USC wanted his commitment so badly.
For whatever reason, his decommitment did leave a bitter taste in many people's mouth, so shutting him down and making him ineffective in Saturday's game is something that many USC fans want to see.
USC LB Hayes Pullard has plans to do just that...
Pullard recently said he was proud of Thomas but would not hold back against a player he nurtured in high school.
"I look at it just like when we were in practice," Pullard said. "Off the field we were like best of friends, like brothers.
"Like I always tell him: 'On the field I'm not your friend. I don't know who you are on the field. I just see an opposite-colored jersey. I'm going to kill you on the field. You better hope I don't catch you.'
"That's how it is — brotherhood off the field. On the field I'm about to rip him apart."
USC players know this is a big game by itself, what is unknown is how other players feel about De'Anthony and his decommitment...probably nothing but you never know.
Like USC"s Robert Woods, Thomas seen as a ringleader in keeping his class together until he inexplicably switched to Oregon. Then some saw Thomas in tying to be the ringleader to bring a few USC recruits with him to Oregon.
I am pretty sure some haven't forgotten that.
Remember when USC defense to special interest in DeShawn Jackson a few years ago after he backed out at the last minute.
Everyone has something that motivates them. Thomas leaving USC in a lurch at the last second might prove to be motivation to some.
Hard to know, but this one of the more interesting story lines in Saturdays game.