Southern California’s path to the Big Ten championship game runs straight through a brutal closing stretch, and it starts Saturday night in Madison.
The No. 16 Trojans have handled the games they were supposed to win and dropped the one they weren’t, Oregon.
Now comes the tougher part: proving they can knock off teams that are expected to give them problems. After Wisconsin, USC faces No.
3 Ohio State, visits No. 6 Indiana, hosts Maryland and wraps up the regular season at No.
9 UCLA.
USC enters the trip at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten after a 31-23 road win at Penn State on Oct. 10 and a bye week. Lincoln Riley sounded encouraged after the team’s first practice back.
"Our Sunday night practice was phenomenal, probably the best one we’ve had all year," he said during his weekly coach’s show on Monday. "Guys have recharged and their bodies are feeling really good after a couple of days off.
"We're obviously going to play a good Wisconsin team and going up there to play is always a challenge. We should be a pretty fresh team and healthier than we've been at some points in the season, which is good going into Week 8."
As usual with a Riley offense, the quarterback is the engine. Jayden Maiava has taken another step, throwing for 2,045 yards and 18 touchdowns against just three interceptions while completing a career-best 67.9% of his passes.
USC ranks seventh nationally in passing yards per game at 310.1 and sits 13th in third-down efficiency at 51.2%. The concern is on the other side of the ball, where the Trojans are giving up 25.1 points per game and 30 per game in conference play.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, is trying to shake off its first Big Ten loss after a 17-7 setback at UCLA last week. The Badgers were in position to steal one despite being outplayed for most of the afternoon.
They were beaten on the stat sheet, 384-214 in total yards, and UCLA kept extending drives by converting 13 of 20 third downs. Wisconsin also piled up 10 penalties for 108 yards. Ty Dieffenbach went 22 of 33 for 264 yards to lead the Bruins.
That kind of showing gives Luke Fickell plenty to sort through, especially with USC bringing one of the nation’s most productive passers into town.
"We've gotta get better at it, we've gotta be aware of the things that people are attacking us with," Fickell said.
Maiava’s numbers only sharpen the warning. He ranks second in the country with 2,045 passing yards, behind only Oregon State’s Braden Atkinson, and he doesn’t just lean on one target. Seven USC receivers have at least 100 receiving yards.
Wisconsin’s own offense has not been nearly as sharp through the air. Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph has completed just 54.7% of his passes, though he does lead the Badgers in rushing with 333 yards and four touchdowns.
That leaves Wisconsin leaning on what has been its strength: a defense allowing only 16.7 points per game. The Badgers will need that unit to keep them in range and hope their offense can do enough against an inconsistent USC defense on a night when home-field advantage could matter.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Be Walking Into A Better USC Matchup Than It Looks
After a frustrating loss to UCLA snapped Wisconsins four-game winning streak, the Badgers turn right around into a matchup that still looks workable on paper. No. 16 USC brings the more explosive roster and the prettier offensive numbers, but the broader view of this game suggests Wisconsin is not walking into the kind of mismatch the rankings might imply.
Advanced models see a close one, and even give Wisconsin a slight edge in win probability because of what the Badgers have done defensively. USCs defense has been the softer side of the equation, and that is why this one could stay competitive deep into the game, even if the Trojans arrive with the bigger name and the stronger profile. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Got An Early Big Ten Reality Check
The preseason AP Poll offered an early snapshot of where the national conversation stands, and Wisconsin was not part of it. While 19 other teams that missed the Top 25 still picked up votes, the Badgers were left out entirely as several Big Ten programs, including Illinois, Michigan State and Michigan, landed in the rankings and others such as Nebraska and Purdue collected support just outside the poll.
For a Wisconsin team with a new-look roster built around transfer additions and freshmen, the omission is not a verdict so much as an early measuring stick. The Badgers now head into the season with a clear reminder that in a league full of recognized names, they will have to prove they belong in the same tier before anyone starts handing them preseason credit. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Defense Could Put USCs Passing Game Under Real Pressure
The USC passing game is heading into one of its tougher road tests with Wisconsin waiting, and the matchup has already gotten the attention of one of the Trojans youngest playmakers. Freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt said the Badgers defense brings the kind of pressure that can disrupt timing and force a clean operation from the offense, with the challenge centered as much on communication as on talent. For a USC group that has leaned on him heavily this season, especially during the absence of fellow freshman Trent Mosley, the trip offers another chance to see how far that connection with quarterback Jayden Maiava has come.
Dixon-Wyatt has grown into one of USCs most important targets, but Wisconsins defense is built to make young receivers earn every window they get. The Trojans will need sharp coordination and patience to keep the passing game on schedule in a stadium where the home defense tends to make everything feel a little tighter. If Maiava and his receivers can stay in sync, USC should have answers. If not, the Badgers look capable of turning a routine passing day into a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]