USC’s bye week comes at a good time, and the timing matters even more after the Trojans’ biggest win of the season over Penn State.
The No. 19 Trojans are 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, and they still have five games left to chase a CFP spot for the first time in program history under coach Lincoln Riley. Before that next push begins, this break gives a few banged-up USC players a chance to get right.
One of the most important names on that list is true freshman tight end Mark Bowman, who has missed the last two games against Washington and Penn State because of an undisclosed injury. USC has plenty still in front of it, especially with ranked opponents waiting later in the schedule, and getting Bowman back into the offense would be a major boost down the stretch.
A former five-star tight end from nearby Mater Dei High School, Bowman has already become one of USC’s most intriguing young weapons. In five games this season, he has 21 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns, with an average of 9.7 yards per reception. The bye gives him extra time to recover before USC heads to Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 24, for another road test against the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
The defensive line is also getting a much-needed breather. Jide Abasiri, one of the Trojans’ key pieces up front, was limited to just one snap in the win over Penn State after entering the game questionable with a leg injury. He’ll use the week off to rest before USC’s next game.
Abasiri has been one of USC’s steadiest defenders this season, posting 16 total tackles and one sack. Over his three years with the program, he has piled up 50 total tackles, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Jahkeem Stewart is another player to watch. After returning from a foot injury suffered this offseason, the defensive tackle has still shown up on several Big Ten availability reports as questionable since USC’s 41-27 loss to Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He has five total tackles since coming back against the Ducks, and the bye week could help him put together a stronger road outing against Wisconsin.
USC’s defensive front, including Abasiri, Luke Wafle and Stewart, will need to hold up if the Trojans are going to keep moving toward their championship goals in Riley’s fifth season.
The Trojans and Badgers are set to kick off in primetime at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC in Madison, Wisconsin.
In Other News...
USCs Midseason TV Numbers Say A Lot About This Team
USCs first half of the season has played out under an unusually bright national spotlight, and the Nielsen numbers help explain why. The Trojans have already been part of a handful of heavily watched games, including a Pac-12 rivalry matchup on NBC that drew the biggest audience of the group. Along the way, the TV ratings have mirrored the bigger storyline around this team: when USC is involved, people tend to tune in, whether it is for the brand, the stakes, or the chance to see how the Trojans handle a big-stage opponent.
The midseason viewership snapshot also offers a reminder of how often USC has been in games that carried real national interest, with key performances and defining moments helping drive those audiences. It is the kind of exposure that comes with being one of college footballs most recognizable programs, and it will only matter more as the schedule moves deeper into the year. The broader ratings picture is still taking shape, with more games ahead and other programs, including Wisconsin, showing their own audience draws in the same tracking. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Sent A Clear Message About Lincoln Rileys Future
USC president Beong-Soo Kim made it clear the school is looking at the football program through the lens of the season in front of it, not the price tag attached to Lincoln Rileys contract. With Wisconsin next on the schedule and a difficult stretch still ahead, the message from the top is to shut out the outside chatter and stay focused on the only thing that can change the conversation: winning.
It is an understandable stance for a team still trying to steady itself in a season with plenty of noise around it. The Trojans have ranked opponents looming and the usual championship and playoff talk hanging over the program, but Kims comments suggest USC is not interested in letting speculation about Rileys future drive the story right now. Instead, the coming weeks will be about performance, not panic, and whether the Trojans can play their way into a better place. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Bye Week Could Still Bring A Rankings Boost
USCs week 7 bye comes at a good time, even after the Trojans already grabbed a major win over Penn State. At No. 19, they are still sitting in the part of the rankings where every result around them matters, and this weekend offers a chance for movement without USC having to take the field. The ripple effects could start quickly, with several teams above and near the Trojans carrying uncertainty into the next round of games.
Texas, Florida, UCLA, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Missouri all have situations worth watching, and a few quarterback injuries could end up shaping the bracket of the poll more than anyone expected. If some of those teams stumble, USC could climb simply by holding steady during the bye, which makes this one of those quiet weeks that could still matter a lot in November-style ranking math. [Read more 🡒]