The No. 19 USC Trojans get a week 7 breather, but that doesn’t mean Trojans fans will be short on meaningful football to watch. With Lincoln Riley and his team on the sideline, there are still a handful of Saturday games that could shape USC’s path the rest of the way.
The clearest must-watch matchup is No. 4 Ohio State against No.
5 Indiana. It brings together the highest-ranked teams on the week 7 slate, and it also features USC’s two highest-ranked remaining opponents.
The Trojans will host Ohio State on Oct. 31, then head to Indiana on Nov. 14.
If USC is going to strengthen its College Football Playoff case, an upset over either team would help a lot, so this game should tell Trojans fans plenty. Indiana has survived some tight moments against Northwestern and Nebraska, while Ohio State has mostly looked dominant despite its loss to Texas in week 2.
The big question: does one of these teams leave the matchup looking a little more vulnerable?
USC fans should also keep an eye on Wisconsin vs. No.
12 UCLA. Like Ohio State-Indiana, this one involves two upcoming Trojans opponents.
It could even turn into the kind of game that matters for USC’s own schedule, especially if the Trojans are tempted to look ahead to Ohio State. Wisconsin will be worth evaluating for that reason alone.
UCLA, meanwhile, is dealing with a major change after losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending injury in the Bruins’ upset win over the Oregon Ducks. How the Bruins handle that adjustment against the Badgers is something USC fans can learn from on Saturday.
There’s also a notable top-10 showdown between No. 8 BYU and No.
2 Notre Dame. With USC and Notre Dame no longer continuing their rivalry after failing to reach a scheduling agreement, the Fighting Irish filled that open spot by adding BYU.
This will be the first game in a home-and-home series between the two programs, and it will send the Cougars to South Bend in 2027. Both teams are undefeated and ranked in the top 10, which helps give the matchup some of the juice that disappeared when Notre Dame’s series with USC was paused.
Finally, Oregon vs. Nebraska could draw plenty of attention from USC fans for a different reason.
The Ducks are the Trojans’ only loss on the schedule, so their standing matters to USC’s resume. If Oregon beats Nebraska, it could eventually help USC by giving that defeat more weight as a “quality loss” if the Ducks climb back into the AP Top 25 Poll.
That’s not exactly an easy rooting interest, especially with Oregon coach Dan Lanning on the other sideline, but it gives Trojans fans a strange kind of hedge. If the Ducks win, USC gets a slight boost.
If they lose, West Coast rival or not, plenty of Trojans fans probably won’t mind at all.
In Other News...
Oregon Must Find An Unexpected Answer At Receiver Before Nebraska
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Evan Stewart is also doubtful for the upcoming game, which has opened the door for some less familiar names to step forward. Freshmen Jalen Lott and Gatlin Bair, along with UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, are among the options Oregon may lean on if it needs a new starting combination at wide receiver, and the coming days should reveal just how much the Ducks are willing to trust that group in a spotlight game. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons New-Look Roster Already Has A Problem To Fix
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There were some familiar and new faces in the mix, including Pharaoh Compton, Andrew Meadow and Taylor Bol Bowen, but the night also exposed how thin the margin can be when a group is still sorting itself out. Senior forward Sean Stewart fouled out early, another blow to a team already battling mistakes and inconsistency, and the Ducks now have plenty to clean up before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon May Be Losing Grip On A Quarterback They Wanted Badly
Oregons 2028 recruiting board still has plenty of work to do, but the Ducks have clearly identified quarterback Josiah Boyd as one of the names they want to land early. Boyd has narrowed his finalists to Oregon, UCLA and Kentucky, and he is set to make his commitment decision on November 23, giving the Ducks a little more time to make their case to one of the top passers on their board.
The latest signs, though, have made this one a little tougher to read for Oregon. Kentucky appears to have picked up momentum in Boyds recruitment, helped in part by new head coach Will Stein, even as Oregon stays involved and plans to bring Boyd to upcoming home games. For a program that has yet to secure a commitment in the class, keeping pace in a battle like this matters, especially with a quarterback target who could shape the early feel of the group. [Read more 🡒]