The final weekend of the 2026 regular season could bring plenty of heat to the Rose Bowl, and the early numbers already have people talking.
USC and UCLA are set for their Crosstown Rivalry meeting on Nov. 28, and DraftKings Sportsbook has the Trojans as 10.5-point favorites with the total sitting at 55.5. That line points to a game where USC is expected to put up points, but it also leaves room for UCLA to make things interesting at home.
The Bruins enter the matchup with a new face on the sideline in Bob Chesney, the former James Madison coach who arrives with a transfer portal class that includes several players who followed him from James Madison to Westwood, most notably running back Wayne Knight. UCLA also has star quarterback Nico Iamaleava back, giving the Bruins a chance to be one of the Big Ten’s surprise teams.
That setup gives the Bruins a path to a statement win, and a chance to throw a wrench into USC’s CFP hopes in Lincoln Riley’s fifth season. The Trojans are looking to stay in the playoff hunt, but the road there may not be simple.
USC’s offense is expected to be a major problem again with quarterback Jayden Maiava back after leading the Big Ten in passing last season. That firepower is part of why the over-under is set at 55.5, and it also explains why the Trojans are carrying the early favorite tag.
The rivalry game produced far fewer points a year ago. USC won 29-10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a result that finished off an undefeated home season for the Trojans. UCLA still managed to cash as a 21.5-point underdog, and the game stayed under 59.5.
Riley has handled this matchup well during his time at USC, going 3-1 against the Bruins. The Trojans have won the last two meetings, while UCLA’s most recent victory came in 2023, when the Bruins shocked USC 38-20 in Caleb Williams’ final season and what was a rough ending for the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner.
The rivalry still tilts heavily toward USC overall. The Trojans lead the all-time series 52-34-7, and the last time they strung together three straight wins was from 2015 to 2017 under Clay Helton, with Sam Darnold at quarterback.
If UCLA is going to flip the script this time, Iamaleava may have to be the one to do it. He already showed last season that he could challenge USC’s defense, helping the Bruins build a 10-7 halftime lead before the Trojans took over with a 22-0 second half. Iamaleava completed 27 of 38 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown in that loss.
Now the question is whether he can do it again with better coaching around him and a new USC defensive coordinator in Gary Patterson waiting on the other side.
For USC, this is the kind of game that could shape everything. The Trojans are chasing their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history and in Riley’s tenure, but FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest projected win total has them at 8.5, a number that likely falls short of the CFP standard.
That means the Trojans may need help from a marquee upset somewhere along the way. The toughest tests on the schedule include Oregon on Sept.
26, Ohio State on Oct. 31, and Indiana on Nov. 14, with Oregon and Ohio State both coming at the Coliseum. But first, USC has to get through UCLA at the Rose Bowl - and in this rivalry, that is never just another game.
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UCLAs Receiver Battle Could Create A New Nico Favorite Fast
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For UCLA, the upside is obvious if one receiver separates from the pack quickly, because building chemistry with Iamaleava now could pay off fast once the season starts. The other side of that depth is less tidy: with so many bodies competing for limited roles, there are bound to be players who leave camp without a clear path to meaningful playing time, and that kind of squeeze can turn a crowded room into a moving one before long. [Read more 🡒]
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West completed his redshirt freshman season at James Madison before making the move to UCLA, and the expectation is that he will have a significant role from the start. His physical traits and early production have already made him a name to watch, and now the bigger question is how quickly that talent translates in Westwood as he tries to boost his NFL Draft stock along the way. [Read more 🡒]
Mick Cronin Sees One Clear Issue Hanging Over UCLAs Season
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The bigger issue, though, is still the one that tends to decide how far UCLA can go in March. Cronin has been clear that the frontcourt remains the area that will define the season, even with promising pieces in place, and the Bruins will need those young bigs to grow into reliable answers inside. The guard play may already have a direction, but until the interior picture sharpens, the rest of the roster evaluation feels like it is still waiting for its final piece. [Read more 🡒]