The spread is the story this week, and the USCFootball.com staff is split on whether USC will do enough on the road to cash against Rutgers.
The Trojans are 23.5-point favorites for Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. PDT kickoff on CBS, but after last week’s 30-point outing against Louisiana - a game USC failed to cover by half a point - confidence in a runaway is not universal. The staff is tracking picks all season, and nobody got it right last week.
This time, the divide is clean: four staff members are taking Rutgers with the points, while four are backing USC to cover.
The Rutgers side leans on a familiar USC road trend. Ryan Abraham called 23.5 “a lot of points” and said the Trojans have not been as sharp away from home, even while expecting them to win comfortably.
Gerard Martinez pointed to the first road game and the three-hour time difference, adding that Rutgers “might be one of those games that could save Greg Schiano's job.” Shotgun Spratling also landed on Rutgers, saying the Scarlet Knights seemed to find something in the middle of last week’s loss at Boston College and noting the travel, extra day of prep and injuries all tilt toward Rutgers.
R.J. Abeytia echoed that USC often builds a lead before turning to backups who can affect the number, saying Rutgers wide receiver KJ Duff could “eat late against the Trojan twos.”
On the other side, the USC picks are rooted in talent gap and offensive rhythm. Makena Arteaga chose the Trojans, pointing out that Rutgers has not beaten anybody yet and that USC is averaging over 40 points a game.
Riley Sager also backed USC, citing Rutgers’ 0-2 start, seven interceptions, and the fact that the Scarlet Knights have the worst turnover margin in FBS at -5. Sager also noted USC is without leading receiver Trent Mosley (knee), but said Jayden Maiava still has options like Mark Bowman and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.
Ahmad Akkaoui went with USC as well, saying it is hard to bet against the Trojans even with a large spread and the chance to empty the bench later. India Otto made it four USC picks, saying this is USC’s first Big Ten matchup and first road game of the season, but she still expects the Trojans to have enough to handle Rutgers despite Mosley being out.
Several of the USC picks also pointed to defensive concerns on the Rutgers side. The Scarlet Knights have losses to UMass and Boston College, and Riley Sager noted they have the worst turnover margin in the nation and are 110th in run defense.
India Otto added that USC’s first-team defense has looked good so far, but wants to see how it holds up against a better opponent, especially with Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond and 6-foot-6 receiver KJ Duff in the mix. She also noted Jahkeem Stewart is out.
USC enters the game as the favorite, but this staff board makes one thing clear: the confidence level in a cover is not nearly as unanimous as the line might suggest.
In Other News...
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USC has spent plenty of time trying to strengthen its defensive future in Southern California, and the next local name to watch is already drawing serious attention. Rivals national recruiting analysts Adam Gorney and Greg Biggins the Trojans the leading favorite to land four-star safety Ace Leutele from Mater Dei in the 2028 class, a notable position for a program that has made keeping elite local talent home a priority.
Leutele stands out not just because of where he plays, but because of how early he has risen at one of the regions most demanding programs. He is a rare freshman starter at Mater Dei and is regarded as a versatile defensive piece, the kind of player USC wants to keep stacking into its next recruiting cycle. The Trojans are also pursuing other safety targets as they look to build a stronger 2028 group after a smaller 2027 class, so this is only part of a broader push on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
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Waymond Jordan and Kam Crawford sit on the other side of that ledger, which makes the next stretch worth watching for a team trying to sharpen its rotation before the schedule gets more demanding. For USC, this is the kind of internal debate that can quietly shape the rest of a season, because bigger roles do not always go to the most obvious candidates, and the opening month has already created a few decisions worth tracking. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads Into Big Ten Play With Serious Depth Questions
USCs transition into Big Ten play arrives with more uncertainty than the Trojans would like, and the timing could hardly be worse. As they get ready for Rutgers, the injury list is already shaping the conversation around the roster, with star freshman receiver Trent Mosley out for an extended stretch after a knee injury in Week 2.
The concern does not stop there, either. Several other players, including Jahkeem Stewart, Nela Tupou, Dee Reddick, Madden Riordan and Jadyn Walker, are dealing with injuries or are in question for the opener, leaving the Trojans to manage depth issues as the level of competition ramps up. For a team about to find out what life looks like in a new conference, availability may be the first major test. [Read more 🡒]