No. 18 USC walks into Saturday night with more than a game on its hands.
The Trojans are coming off a loss to Oregon by two touchdowns in what was supposed to be a must-win spot, and the noise around the program has only grown louder after the suspension of linebacker Desman Stephens. Lincoln Riley’s future in Los Angeles has become a national conversation, and USC is now back in prime time with a chance to answer it on the field.
That makes the home matchup with Washington on Oct. 3 feel bigger than a normal conference game. It is the kind of night that can either steady a shaky season or deepen the doubts that have already started piling up. USC has seen this kind of slide before under Riley, most notably in 2023 when the Trojans opened 6-0 and still finished 7-5.
The warning signs from around college football are hard to ignore. Penn State lost three straight last season to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern after entering with big expectations, and former coach James Franklin was gone by early October.
LSU’s collapse against Texas A&M last October ended with Brian Kelly being fired the next day. USC doesn’t have to follow those exact paths, but the question hanging over the program is the same: how does it respond?
Saturday offers the first real answer.
This will be the 88th meeting between USC and Washington, and the Huskies have won the last three. Southern Cal has not beaten Washington since 2016, and the Trojans have not won this matchup at the Coliseum since 2011.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC, the same time slot and network as last week.
The rest of the Week 5 schedule has its own heavy hitters. No.
7 Alabama faces No. 16 Mississippi State at 9 a.m.
PT. No.
5 Ohio State and No. 14 Iowa headline the Big Ten slate at 12:30 p.m.
PT, the same time as No. 8 Florida against No.
25 Missouri. No.
4 Miami and Clemson also kick off at 4:30 p.m. PT, but USC’s situation has put the Trojans squarely in the middle of the weekend conversation.
For USC, the task is bigger than just getting a win. The Trojans need to look sharper, tougher and more disciplined than they have in recent weeks.
The defense cannot keep surrendering more than 450 yards and 30-plus points. And Washington quarterback Demond Williams brings a different kind of problem, one that tests both athleticism and pocket play.
That is the challenge in front of USC now. Not just to survive another week, but to show that this season is heading somewhere other than where the noise says it might be going.
In Other News...
Washington Gets USC At A Moment Lincoln Riley Desperately Needed
USCs visit to Washington comes with Lincoln Riley under the kind of pressure that follows a program when the offense is still stocked with talent but the broader picture keeps slipping. It is Rileys fifth season in Los Angeles, and the conversation around the Trojans has shifted from whether the attack can score to whether the staff changes, including the addition of Gary Patterson on defense, have done enough to steady a unit that continues to draw concern.
Jaiden Maiava has given USC a capable presence at quarterback, and the skill talent around him remains part of the appeal, but the Trojans have not been able to convert that into the kind of complete team that holds up through the grind of conference play. Recent losses have only sharpened the scrutiny on Rileys standing, which makes this trip north feel less like another Pac-12 test and more like a moment that could shape the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Heads Into A Huge USC Test With One More Twist
Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum brings a familiar kind of pressure for both sides, with No. 18 USC trying to steady itself after a loss to Oregon and Washington stepping into a primetime NBC spotlight with plenty to play for. The Trojans also have a recent history they would like to change, since they are trying to snap a three-game losing streak against the Huskies in a game that should tell a lot about where each program stands early in the season.
There is also a little more uncertainty around USCs lineup than a ranked team would prefer heading into a matchup of this size. The injury picture has been part of the buildup all week, and one of the more notable names to watch is defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, who is listed as questionable, adding another layer to a game already carrying plenty of attention in the betting market and on national TV. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Recruiting Push Just Took A Tough Early Hit
Washingtons push to add another impact edge rusher hit an early snag when Jalanie George, one of the more highly regarded names on the board, chose Wisconsin instead of the Huskies. George had been projected to land in Seattle, but his decision changed after an official visit to Madison, a reminder that even a strong prediction can flip quickly once the visits and sales pitches are over.
The Huskies are not standing still, though, and their attention is already shifting to another Arizona-based edge rusher in Landen Wade, who remains in play with multiple programs. Washington still has a path to add help up front, but this next pursuit may be just as important as the one that slipped away. [Read more 🡒]