Games to watch for USC fans during the Trojans' bye week
The No. 11 USC Trojans (2-0) are on a bye this weekend after shooting out to a 2-0 start with a win over a ranked LSU Tigers team and a home shutout of the Utah State Aggies.
Ten of USC’s 12 opponents this season are playing games on Saturday. Here’s a look at what games to watch and where to see them.
PrizePicks is the largest independently owned Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform in North America. They are the easiest and most exciting way to play DFS – It’s just you against the numbers. Instead of battling thousands of other players, you pick MORE than or LESS than on 2-6 player stat projections and watch the winnings roll in!
Download the PrizePicks app or go to PrizePicks.com and use code SC to receive a guaranteed $50 once you play $5 in lineups!
Right now, 1 Caleb Williams passing yard gets you 1 win on PrizePicks every week in September! That’s right, only one yard gets you an automatic win every football weekend in September. FOUR weeks of free Ws! Don’t miss this deal on PrizePicks! Because it’s gone when September ends.
9:00 am PT
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide @ Wisconsin Badgers
TV: Fox
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Line: Alabama -16, O/U 49.5
USC connection: Wisconsin is 2-0 this season after 14-point wins over both Western Michigan and South Dakota. The Badgers will be up against it on Saturday with a visit from No. 4 Alabama. Wisconsin then gets a week off before traveling to Los Angeles to face a USC team that will be coming off a game at Michigan. The game between the Badgers and Trojans on Sept. 28 will be USC’s first-ever Big Ten conference home game.
No. 16 LSU Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks
TV: ABC and ESPN+
Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Line: LSU -6.5, O/U 48.5
USC connection: USC fans should be big LSU fans the rest of the way after the Trojans beat the Tigers to open the season. South Carolina looked much better last week against Kentucky after struggling to beat Old Dominion in the opener. LSU has a fairly manageable SEC schedule this year missing Georgia and getting Alabama, Oklahoma and Ole Miss at home. This is a game LSU needs to win if it’s going to help USC’s strength of schedule argument down the line.
Arkansas State Red Wolves @ No. 17 Michigan Wolverines
TV: Big Ten Network
Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Line: Michigan -23, O/U 47.5
USC connection: This is likely the game that will get the most attention from USC fans as Michigan is the next opponent on the schedule. The Wolverines will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to Texas this past weekend. We’ll see if the quarterback situation looks any better for Michigan and how strong the defense looks against a 2-0 Arkansas State team.
12:30 pm PT
No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Purdue Boilermakers
TV: CBS and Paramount+
Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
Line: Notre Dame -9.5, O/U 47.5
USC connection: Notre Dame is coming off a disappointing and, let’s face it, hilarious home loss to Northern Illinois. The Trojans won’t face the Irish until the final game of the regular season, but it’s worth watching to see if quarterback Riley Leonard can get things figured out while likely playing through yet another injury.
Washington State Cougars @ Washington Huskies
TV: Peacock
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Line: Washington -5.5, O/U 55.5
USC connection: USC travels to Washington at the beginning of November. The Huskies have two fairly convincing wins this season, though they’ve come against Weber State and Eastern Michigan. That’s a pretty full rebuild going on in Seattle this year and we’ll see what the Huskies look like against a Washington State team that just rushed for 301 yards and four touchdowns in a convincing win against Texas Tech.
Nevada Wolf Pack @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
TV: Big Ten Network
Location: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Line: Minnesota -17.5, O/U 44.5
USC connection: Here’s a game that would have probably meant less than nothing to USC fans in recent years but is now worth tuning in to in order to get a look at a future opponent. The Trojans travel to Minnesota on Oct. 5 for a game sandwiched between home games against Wisconsin and Penn State. Minnesota hasn’t been able to figure out much of a running game this season, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry without a 20-yard run through two games.
1:30 pm PT
No. 12 Utah Utes @ Utah State Aggies
TV: CBSSN
Location: Maverick Stadium, Logan, UT
Line: Utah -18, O/U 43.5
USC connection: Here’s one that probably doesn’t much matter for USC’s schedule strength unless the Aggies go on a tear the rest of the season. But it’ll be interesting to see how the Utah defense stacks up against the Utah State offense one week after USC blanked the Aggies at home. Utah could be playing without quarterback Cam Rising in this one.
4:30 pm PT
Northern Iowa Panthers @ No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers
TV: Big Ten Network
Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Line: No line
USC connection: Nebraska is scheduled as USC’s homecoming opponent on November 16. Both teams will be coming off a bye week for that one. The Huskers have looked pretty good so far in a blowout win against UTEP and a convincing win against Colorado. The Nebraska schedule has given true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola a pretty cushy start to his college career before road trip to Ohio State and USC for the Cornhuskers’ eighth and tenth games of the year.
Indiana Hoosiers @ UCLA Bruins
TV: NBC and Peacock
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Line: Indiana -3, O/U 45.5
USC connection: UCLA and USC will play at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 23 and the Bruins are about to head into the roughest part of their schedule. After this game against Indiana, UCLA travels to No. 16 LSU, hosts No. 9 Oregon and then plays at No. 8 Penn State in back-to-back-to-back weeks. The Bruins looked uninspiring in a close win at Hawaii to open the season. We’re about to learn plenty more about this UCLA team over the next month and this is a must-win game for the Bruins.
5:00 pm PT
Maryland Terrapins @ Virginia Cavaliers
TV: ACC Network
Location: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
Line: Maryland -1, O/U 57.5
USC connection: Many have the USC trip to Maryland circled as a trap game for the Trojans because it comes after a home game against Penn State and the kickoff time is still unknown. Maryland’s schedule isn’t exactly daunting before hosting USC. The Terrapins have Virginia, Villanova, Indiana and Northwestern in their next four games. Maryland blew a 24-17 lead with less than five minutes to play in a loss to Michigan State last week despite picking off three passes as they could not run the ball against the Spartans.
