The last Saturday in September arrives with several ranked teams already on thin ice, and the margin for error is getting ugly fast. A handful of top-25 programs are walking into games that could reshape the rest of their seasons before October even begins.
LSU sits in the most obvious danger zone. Lane Kiffin’s loss at Ole Miss a week ago barely moved the Tigers in the AP poll, where they landed at No. 10, but a home loss to Texas A&M would be a different kind of damage.
It would drop LSU to 2-2, leave it 0-2 in SEC play, and put the Tigers in a bind with Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas still on the schedule. Kiffin’s offense showed some late fight against the Rebels, but it also showed how much trouble it can have against an inspired defense that can strike vertically.
Against an Aggies team that badly needs a rebound, anything less than sharp execution could effectively shut the door on realistic College Football Playoff hopes for one of the preseason favorites.
Texas A&M is carrying its own pressure into Baton Rouge. The Aggies slid from No. 9 to No. 23 after a home loss to unranked Kentucky, and that defeat snapped a long winning streak at Kyle Field.
Marcel Reed and the A&M offense never looked settled last week, and the defense gave up too many plays behind it. Now the assignment gets even tougher: a night trip to LSU, in one of college football’s most punishing road environments.
A loss would leave the Aggies at 2-2 and 0-2 in SEC play, and it would raise real questions about whether this team can survive the rest of its conference schedule.
USC is another team that has to turn close calls into cleaner results. These are the games the Trojans hired Riley to win, and if he can’t get them over the line now, the questions around the program are going to get louder. The offense has been steady with quarterback Jayden Maiava leading the way, but the defense, even with Gary Patterson’s influence, still gave up too much in a win at Rutgers.
Oregon is also trying to steady itself after a bad stumble. The Ducks took an especially costly loss at Oklahoma State two weeks ago, a result that cracked the shine on what many thought could be a national title run.
They followed that by beating Portland State 84-0, but now they need much more from a Dante Moore-led offense on the road against USC. Another loss would deepen the concerns around a team that can’t afford to keep giving away chances.
Michigan rounds out the list of teams with something to prove. The Wolverines’ win over then-ranked Oklahoma showed what their defense and rushing attack can do, but last week’s slow start against UTEP left an awkward aftertaste.
Now they open Big Ten play at home against an Iowa defense that will test Bryce Underwood through the air and try to keep Michigan from controlling the game on the ground. If the Wolverines slip here, the questions about their ceiling in a tough conference only get louder.
In Other News...
USC Is Hiding A Coliseum Twist Before Oregon Arrives
With Oregon coming to the Coliseum, one small pregame detail has become a talking point around USC: the tunnel captain has not been announced yet. The Trojans usually reveal that honor a few days before kickoff, so the silence has only added to the buzz around who will lead the team out for one of the seasons biggest home dates.
Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll are among the names drawing attention because of what they mean to the program, but USC has not made anything public. For a matchup with so much weight attached to it, even the walkout has taken on extra meaning, and the final choice should say plenty about how the school wants this night framed before the game even starts. [Read more 🡒]
USC Stars In The NFL Are Breaking Out And Breaking Down
Drake London gave USC fans a reminder of what elite receiver play can look like on a big stage Thursday night, hauling in nine passes for 194 yards against Green Bay. The former Trojans standout has continued to grow into a featured role with the Atlanta Falcons, and nights like this only deepen the sense that USCs receiver pipeline is producing players who can make an immediate impact in the NFL.
Elsewhere, the picture around USC alums is a little less celebratory. Baltimore Ravens rookie JaKobi Lane is on injured reserve after breaking his wrist in his NFL debut, while Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is working through a minor hamstring injury that could sideline him on a week-to-week basis. For a program that prides itself on sending stars to Sundays, the early-season snapshot is a mix of breakout production and the kind of health issues that can interrupt even the most promising start. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Rutgers Rotation Revealed A Troubling Depth Issue
USCs trip to Rutgers offered a clear look at how thin the roster has become in spots. The Trojans leaned on a season-low 60 players, with a wide spread in usage that reflected how much the staff had to press the available group into service. Desman Stephens II and Prophet Brown each logged 74 snaps, while Josiah Jefferson and Marquis Gallegos saw just one apiece in a game where the rotation was anything but normal.
The numbers also underscored how many bodies USC was already missing. Fourteen players were out because of injuries or were not dressed, and three more were injured and did not finish the game, leaving no one to return from injury or make a season debut. On the flip side, 13 players hit or matched career highs in total snap counts, a reminder that the Trojans are asking a lot from the same core as the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]