Report: Colorado-USC canceled, Buffs to play SDSU

BOULDER – The Colorado Buffaloes were set to take on USC in a game that could have decided the winner of the Pac-12 South, but that no longer appears to be the case.

The Colorado-USC matchup that was set to be played in Los Angeles on Saturday has been called off, according to The Mercury News’ John Wilner.

#Pac12 source: USC-Colorado canceled.

— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) November 27, 2020

(UPDATE: The Pac-12 has confirmed the cancelation, as of 7 p.m. MT.)

The game had been in doubt for days, as USC reported multiple positive tests for COVID-19. The first positive test was reported Tuesday morning, and USC canceled in-person team activities. Those activities resumed Wednesday.

On Thursday, USC released a statement that included two new pieces of information: first, that two players had tested positive, and second, that another player was experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and was being tested for the virus.

Official Statement pic.twitter.com/2HBqta6BSt

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 26, 2020

The game’s status was in the air throughout the day, before Wilner’s tweet stating that a source told him the game was canceled.

There’s a silver lining for CU fans, though.

Colorado, apparently, spent the week securing a contingency plan. Multiple reporters have said that Colorado would play San Diego State, if USC became unable to participate in Saturday’s game.

I have been able to confirm through a source that Colorado will be hosting San Diego State on Saturday at Folsom Field. #cubuffs

— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) November 27, 2020

No official announcement has been made but it could be coming within the next few hours.

(UPDATE: Colorado will host San Diego State in Boulder at 3 p.m. on Saturday, the school announced. The game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.)

The Colorado-USC game was crucial to Colorado’s Pac-12 South title hopes. Since the Buffs have already had one game canceled, their best possible conference record is 4-0. USC, meanwhile, can finish 5-0 because this is their first cancellation. Due to special rules for the shortened 2020 season, a team that is tied with the first-place finisher in the loss column but trails in the win column by just one game will be considered tied.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record, which won’t matter because the teams won’t play. The second is division record. Since Colorado had its game against Arizona State, a Pac-12 South Division member, canceled, CU could finish with a 3-0 record in the South, at best.

USC is capable of 4-0.

Even if USC’s outbreak forces it to cancel next week’s game against Washington State, the Buffs wouldn’t benefit because that is a non-divisional game, as the Cougars are part of the Pac-12 North.

Colorado needs two more USC cancelations, or one USC loss, and to win the rest of its conference games in order to make the Pac-12 title game.

In short, the Buffs’ fate is out of their hands.