The USC Trojans get a breather this week, but the stakes around them are anything but quiet.
After knocking off the previously ranked No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 30-18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, No.
20 USC heads into its second bye week of the season at 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. Lincoln Riley’s team is still chasing its first College Football Playoff appearance in program history, and the road to get there is lined with a final three-game stretch against the No.
4 Indiana Hoosiers on Nov. 14, Maryland on Nov. 21 and the No.
8 UCLA Bruins on Nov. 28.
But before the Trojans get back on the field, there are a few results that could shape how the CFP picture looks around them.
The first one comes in Columbus, where the No. 23 Oregon Ducks and No.
12 Ohio State Buckeyes meet in a game that looked like a marquee showdown in the preseason. It still matters plenty, even with both teams missing their starting quarterbacks, Julian Sayin for Ohio State and Dante Moore for Oregon.
USC’s playoff path is tied to what happens there, especially since the Trojans beat Ohio State but lost to Oregon at the Coliseum on Sept. 26.
Oregon already has three losses, so USC would likely be pulling for the Buckeyes to stumble again. Under Ryan Day, Ohio State has never dropped two straight regular-season games. That streak will be on the line Saturday in Columbus.
Another game with USC interest is the one in South Bend, where the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the No.
1 Miami Hurricanes in a matchup that has a real chance to feel like the game of the year. Miami, led by Heisman Trophy contender quarterback Darian Mensah, is trying to stay unbeaten.
Notre Dame, which already has a loss to the No. 9 BYU Cougars, is looking for the kind of win that would sharpen its CFP case.
The Hurricanes will have to do it without one of their biggest weapons. Wide receiver Malachi Toney, who has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, suffered a high ankle sprain during practice on Nov. 4 and is scheduled to have surgery. For Notre Dame, led by quarterback CJ Carr, this is a chance to land a signature win in a hostile setting on Saturday night.
Then there’s the top-10 clash in the Holy War, where No. 9 BYU visits No.
3 Utah in a game with Big 12 title and CFP implications all over it. Both teams could end up in the 12-team playoff field by season’s end, and Utah enters as one of the three undefeated teams left in the country, alongside Miami and UCLA.
BYU has won the last three meetings in the rivalry, a run that goes back to 2021. Utah will try to end that streak and stay unbeaten.
For USC fans, that one carries a familiar edge. The Trojans and Utes had plenty of battles during their Pac-12 days, and USC often came out on the wrong side.
In Caleb Williams’ Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2022, the Trojans were knocked out of CFP contention by Utah, losing to the Utes in the regular season and again in the Pac-12 championship. That was Riley’s first year at USC, and it remains the closest the Trojans have come to reaching the playoff.
In Other News...
BYU Is Making A Visible Helmet Change Fans Will Notice
BYUs football helmets are about to look a little different, with the school and Trucordia announcing an expanded multiyear corporate sponsorship agreement that will put the companys logo on the helmet bumpers beginning Nov. 7. It is a visible addition, one that will be hard for fans to miss once the Cougars take the field.
The move is part of a broader effort to raise Trucordias profile among BYU fans while also providing support for the football program. For a team with a passionate following, even a small change to the helmet carries extra attention, and this one will be part of the look from here on out. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Utah Hopes Suddenly Center On One Crucial Return
A viral snap from former BYU offensive lineman Connor Pay has given Cougar fans something unexpected to argue about online, with the clip drawing more than 3 million views and turning a routine football exchange into a minor social media debate. The video shows the ball landing in a throwing position with the laces on the fingers, and while some viewers hailed it as a perfect snap, others pushed back on that description.
All the while, BYU is getting ready for Utah with a much more consequential storyline on the field: the possible return of running back LJ Martin from injury. In a rivalry game where every healthy body matters, Martins status could end up carrying far more weight than any viral highlight ever will. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces Its Biggest Test Yet With One Major Concern
BYU heads into its showdown with Utah with plenty on the line and just as much attention, as the matchup brings together two top-10 teams in one of the most anticipated games on the schedule. The Cougars have spent the week preparing for a Utah defense that has been sturdy and a Utes offense that presents its own challenges, while offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick is already looking at ways to adjust the running game if needed.
The biggest concern for BYU is the likely absence of key offensive player LJ Martin because of injury, a development that could force the Cougars to lean on depth and creativity in a game where every possession matters. Coaches have talked through the preparation and the strategy, but the real test will come on the field, where BYU will have to find answers against a rival that rarely makes things easy. [Read more 🡒]