The stakes are high enough when No. 20 Oregon and No.
12 USC meet at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but the pressure on both sides feels different. Oregon arrives at 2-1 and opening Big Ten play after a non-conference stretch that raised real questions.
USC is 4-0 overall and 1-0 in league play, but the Trojans have done little to quiet the doubts that hang over Lincoln Riley’s program.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBC, and the game carries major College Football Playoff implications.
Oregon entered the season with national championship buzz, yet its early resume has been uneven enough to push it toward the edge of contention. The Ducks opened with a 34-27 win over Boise State in which they were trailing at halftime at home, then followed that with a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State, a result that looked even worse after the Cowboys had dropped a loss at Tulsa the week before.
Oregon has 209 rushing yards across those two games, though some of that came after the Ducks essentially gave up on the run against Boise State. The defense has also been a concern, especially against Oklahoma State, given all the returning talent Oregon brought back on the front end and in the secondary.
USC’s start has been cleaner on the scoreboard, but not necessarily cleaner in the broader sense. The Trojans handled their non-conference games against Group of Six opponents, and the offense has lived up to expectations.
The defense, though, has been inconsistent. San Jose State’s 26 points came mostly in garbage time, but Lunch Winfield and the Louisiana offense still managed a respectable 30-point showing against Gary Patterson’s unit.
Then came a 42-35 win at Rutgers in the Big Ten opener, another game that left plenty of room for concern on defense. Even with occasional interceptions, Dylan Lonergan and the Scarlet Knights piled up 460 yards.
Before the matchup, former college head coaches Brian Kelly and Rick Neuheisel gave their official picks on CBS Sports’ "Inside College Football."
Kelly said Oregon’s preseason reputation may have been inflated and framed Saturday as the kind of game that will show whether the Ducks really belong in that conversation.
"Is this a roster that we can believe in for Oregon?" Kelly said.
"If this is truly a top-notch roster, we will see that this Saturday. If it isn't, it's going to be a long season for them.
I don't want to call it the game of the year for Oregon, but you have to put up or shut up and this is one of those games. My official pick is USC."
Neuheisel pointed to USC’s offensive identity as the potential issue, saying Lincoln Riley’s approach could leave the Trojans vulnerable if they lean too heavily on the pass.
"The question to me is, does Lincoln Riley have the patience to run the ball and take possessions away from Oregon?" Neuheisel said.
"He's a high-flying guy, his quarterbacks are all over the NFL. If he has the ability and the patience to run it and protect the ball, they can win the game.
I don't believe that's going to be the case, I'm going to take Oregon."
In Other News...
USC Injury Trouble Could Reshape Oregons Biggest Test Yet
The build-up to Oregons trip to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has taken on even more weight with USC still unbeaten and both teams carrying real playoff implications into a late-afternoon national showcase. The No. 12 Trojans, now 4-0, are set to host No. 20 Oregon in a game that already had plenty of attention, and the Ducks will arrive as a slight favorite in what has become one of the most important regular-season tests on their schedule. NBC will carry the 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff, with the matchup also putting Jayden Maiava and Dante Moore in the spotlight at quarterback.
What makes the game even more interesting is the uncertainty around USCs health, with several key players potentially unavailable, including wide receiver Corey Simms and freshman Trent Mosley. Any loss to the lineup matters in a game of this size, especially against an Oregon team that has been steady enough to earn that narrow edge entering the weekend. For the Ducks, the challenge is obvious: go on the road, handle the moment, and take advantage if USCs injury situation leaves the Trojans thinner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's USC Game Could Put Andrew Olesh In A Huge Spotlight
The Ducks head into their matchup with USC with a little more uncertainty at tight end than they would like, as Kendre Harrison and Jamari Johnson are both listed as questionable because of undisclosed injuries. Dan Lanning sounded optimistic that both will be available, but the timing still matters for Oregon because the tight end rotation has become part of how the offense is built. If either player is limited, the next man up would be redshirt freshman Andrew Olesh, who has already started two games this season.
Olesh would not be an unfamiliar answer, either. His role has grown with steady improvement in both pass blocking and receiving, and this is the kind of game where that development can matter quickly. A road game against USC tends to sharpen attention on the guys who are called into bigger roles, and Olesh could find himself in that spotlight if Oregon needs him to carry more of the load than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Brings A Spotlight-Worthy Road Look To USC
Oregons Week 4 road trip to USC will come with one of the more eye-catching looks of the weekend. The Ducks are set to go all-white, paired with steel gray shoulder patterns and a stainless steel helmet, a sharp combination that fits right in with the programs long-running habit of treating uniform reveals as part of the show.
The matchup itself already carries plenty of attention, but Oregon is adding another layer to it with a design built to stand out under the lights. Around college football, several teams are rolling out special uniform combinations this week, with programs like UTSA, Washington, Baylor, Iowa State and Washington State also leaning into distinctive themes and traditions. [Read more 🡒]