Week 8 has already turned into a week of quarterback shuffle around the Big Ten, but USC is one of the few programs that has kept its original plan intact. The No. 16 Trojans will roll into Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night with Jayden Maiava still under center, even as 10 of the conference’s 18 teams are preparing to start a quarterback who wasn’t their Week 1 choice.
That stability matters for USC, especially with a brutal stretch waiting on the other side. The Trojans have a chance to strengthen their College Football Playoff case with back-to-back statement opportunities, first against Wisconsin and then against No.
3 Ohio State on Halloween night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Buckeyes are expected to turn to former three-star recruit and Mission Viejo, California native Luke Fahey on Oct. 31, but ESPN’s College GameDay wasn’t exactly sold on USC’s chances in that matchup.
“At least he [Fahey] has the Trojans defense to face,” said Davis on ESPN’s College GameDay.
Rece Davis wasn’t the only one looking at USC with some skepticism. The College GameDay crew leaned toward Wisconsin to spring the upset on Saturday night, a reflection of the questions still hanging over the Trojans on that side of the ball.
USC’s defense has taken steps forward in its first season under coordinator Gary Patterson, but the secondary remains the soft spot. The Trojans have allowed at least 20 points in every game this season except their 39-0 shutout of Fresno State on Sept. 4 at the Coliseum. Saturday night gives them a chance to answer those doubts in a tough road environment, and the timing lines up with the most demanding part of their schedule.
The final five games are loaded, and the list of opponents includes three teams currently in the top 10: No. 3 Ohio State on Oct.
31, No. 6 Indiana on Nov. 14 and No.
9 UCLA on Nov. 28.
Wisconsin will test that defense with a quarterback who can do damage both ways. Colton Joseph leads the Badgers in both passing and rushing this season, while Tyrell Henry will be another name USC has to track closely. Henry tops Wisconsin’s receiving chart with 27 catches for 343 yards and one touchdown.
Oddsmakers still have USC in a decent spot. The Trojans are listed as three-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, a better position than the one they were in before their 31-23 win over Penn State before the bye week, when they entered that game as underdogs.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT at Camp Randall Stadium, with NBC carrying the broadcast. It will be USC’s fourth straight primetime game on NBC.
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BYU Got Hit With An AP Poll Slide Fans Will Hate
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For Wisconsin, the frustration is less about one specific slide and more about the broader message the rankings sent. Competitive losses and quality wins can look very different to voters depending on the week, and the Badgers found themselves in the same debate over fairness, perception and how much stock the AP is really putting into what teams actually do on Saturday. [Read more 🡒]