USC enters Saturday night with the kind of start that keeps playoff talk alive, but Oregon has been the stubborn obstacle the Trojans haven’t been able to shake. Lincoln Riley’s team is 4-0 and ranked No. 12, and now it gets a Big Ten test at home against a Ducks program that has owned this matchup lately.
That recent Oregon edge is real. Before 2010, the Ducks were 5-24-1 against USC in Los Angeles.
Since then, the script has flipped hard. Oregon has won four of the last five meetings in LA and eight of the last 10 overall, including last year’s 42-27 win in Eugene that stretched the Ducks’ winning streak in the series to four.
The timing matters for both teams. Oregon comes in off a loss at Oklahoma State and suddenly has less room for error after reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024 and 2025.
This is also the Ducks’ conference opener. USC, meanwhile, sits atop the standings after winning at Rutgers last week.
There’s plenty at stake around Oregon’s broader résumé, too. The Ducks brought in national title buzz after a 13-win season in 2025, but their current position is far less comfortable. They carry the longest active streak in FBS with 11 straight road wins in conference play, have not lost a conference opener since 2018, and would fall to 2-2 with multiple losses through the first four games for the first time since 2016.
USC’s biggest weapon right now is Jayden Maiava, and he has been lighting it up. He leads FBS with 12 passing touchdowns and has thrown only one interception while helping power a Trojans offense that is averaging 43.0 points per game. At home, he’s been especially sharp: an 11-1 record in 12 career home starts for USC, with 32 touchdowns and six interceptions in the Coliseum.
The Trojans’ defense is still the wild card. Gary Patterson was brought in to run that side of the ball, and the early returns have been uneven.
USC has allowed at least 25 points in three of its four games, though it did post a 39-0 shutout of Fresno State in Week 1. The overall number sits at 22.8 points allowed per game, but late scores by San Jose State and Louisiana have helped soften that figure.
Even so, needing a pick-6 to get past Rutgers 42-35 last week raised the same question again: can USC get enough stops against an elite offense?
Oregon brings exactly that kind of test. The Ducks are scoring 49.7 points per game and have future NFL Draft picks spread across the field, including at quarterback. That makes this a major challenge for a USC defense still trying to settle in.
Saturday’s game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and will air on NBC.
As for the number, the matchup points toward offense. USC has not been shy about scoring against Oregon, and the recent history between these teams backs that up. The two combined for 69 points in 2025 and 63 in 2023, which leaves room for the current total to get cleared.
Pick: Over 61.5
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USCs Upset Shot Vs Oregon May Hinge On One Injury Question
The injury reports are out ahead of USCs conference matchup with Oregon, and both sidelines are dealing with enough absences to make depth a real storyline. Oregon will be without Jeremiah McClellan, Trent Ferguson, Brayden Platt and Simeon Price, while USCs list includes Jahkeem Stewart, Trent Mosley and Alex Graham, leaving both staffs to sort through key replacements before kickoff.
For the Trojans, the most encouraging development is the status of running back Deshonne Redeaux, who was recently upgraded to probable. In a game where USC is trying to position itself for an upset, availability could end up mattering as much as game plan, and the final pregame decisions on a few names may tell the bigger story of how aggressive the Trojans can be against one of the leagues toughest teams. [Read more 🡒]
USC Has One Real Edge In Its Biggest Test Yet
USCs biggest test of the season now comes with a chess match attached to it, and the Trojans believe that work on the defensive side could matter as much as anything else on the field. Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson has spent the buildup trying to find answers for Oregons offense, and linebacker Tate Romney pointed to the value of recognizing the Ducks offensive line tendencies as a way to anticipate what is coming next.
That kind of detail can become a real edge when the margin is thin, especially against an opponent with a coordinator like Drew Mehringer helping steer the attack. For USC, the matchup is not just about talent or speed, but about whether Pattersons defense can read the clues fast enough to keep Oregon from dictating the game. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Stormtrooper Look Just Added More Buzz To USC Showdown
The buildup to USCs September 26 trip to Oregon already had the feel of an early measuring-stick Pac-12-style clash, and the Ducks all-white stormtrooper look only adds another layer to it. Oregon defensive tackle Bear Alexander helped stir the conversation by sharing images of the teams new cleats on social media, and the design leans hard into program history with multiple classic Duck logos.
For USC, the optics are part of a bigger night that carries real weight beyond uniforms and branding. It is an early conference matchup with significant implications, and the Trojans will have to navigate key player absences while trying to leave their own mark in a game where legacies can start to take shape. The pageantry will be loud, but so will the stakes. [Read more 🡒]