Saturday’s 17-7 win by No. 9 UCLA over Wisconsin did more than move the Bruins into the top ten. It also gave USC another useful look at what’s waiting on the Trojans’ schedule.
USC has five remaining opponents, and Wisconsin and UCLA are both on that list. With the Badgers and Bruins meeting in Pasadena during a wild Week 7, the Trojans got a snapshot of two teams they’ll have to navigate in late November.
What stood out most was how far UCLA has come under first-year coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins beat Oregon in Eugene the week before taking down Wisconsin, and they did it without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Backup Ty Dieffenbach stepped in and handled the job.
In his first start as a Bruin, the former FCS Cal Poly quarterback threw for more than 250 yards without a touchdown pass. He operated as a pocket passer and repeatedly found open receivers on deeper throws.
UCLA’s ground game still had its moments, even with senior Wayne Knight held to 23 rushing yards and one touchdown. Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas helped pick up the slack when needed, giving Chesney enough balance to stay in control.
That balance is exactly what USC’s defense will have to sort out. Against Wisconsin, the Badgers showed one way to attack the Bruins: make the quarterback carry more of the burden. Colton Joseph did that, rushing for 71 yards and a touchdown.
For the Trojans, slowing Knight will be a major piece of the puzzle when they see UCLA. If Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator Gary Patterson can bottle him up the way Wisconsin did, Chesney may have to lean even harder on the passing game.
USC will also need to deal with UCLA’s ability to own the clock. In all but one game this season, the Bruins have had the edge in time of possession.
Saturday was no different, as UCLA kept its first possession for more than eight and a half minutes. That kind of extended drive is exactly the sort of thing the Trojans will need to cut short.
Wisconsin’s defense also offered USC a reminder that UCLA’s offense can be rattled. The Badgers intercepted Dieffenbach twice, including once on a trick play. If Riley has any gadgetry in mind for Wisconsin, that turnover margin has to be part of the equation.
The same caution applies to USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. He has only thrown three interceptions this season, but one of them came late against Oregon in a game the Trojans couldn’t close out. The cleaner version of Maiava - the one USC got against Penn State - has to show up again.
The timing of USC’s bye week may help. It gave extra recovery time to injured players such as tight end Mark Bowman and offensive lineman Elijah Paige, though it remains unclear whether either will be available on Saturday.
Now the challenge shifts to Camp Randall Stadium, where Riley’s team will need to carry the Penn State momentum into another difficult road setting. The Trojans handled that atmosphere in Happy Valley. They’ll need that same edge again.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Just Got A Reality Check In The New Big Ten FPI
ESPNs Football Power Index offered another reminder of where the Big Ten stands after Week 7, and it was not especially kind to the middle of the pack. Ohio State remains the leagues top team in the model, with Indiana sitting right behind it, while the projections continue to sort out the rest of the conference based on how teams have performed and what the simulations expect from here.
For Wisconsin, the broader takeaway is how unforgiving these rankings can be once conference play settles in. The FPI is built to project the rest of the season, so every result gets folded into the picture quickly, and Marylands tumble to the bottom after its loss to Rutgers shows how sharply the model reacts when a team slips. For the Badgers, it is another snapshot of a league where the margin between contender and also-ran is getting clearer by the week. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Is Running Out Of Time To Prove It Belongs
The latest Big Ten power-rank chatter has turned into more than a simple snapshot of who is hot and who is not. Ohio State, UCLA and Indiana have been holding up the leagues stronger side, while Penn State, Michigan State and Rutgers have been used as examples of teams that have stumbled when conference play starts to sharpen the picture. It is the kind of weekly sorting exercise that can say as much about perception as it does about results, and Wisconsin is now being measured in that same unforgiving light.
For the Badgers, the problem is no longer just winning a game here and there, but proving they still fit with the leagues more convincing teams before the schedule tightens further. The conversation around Big Ten imposters leaves little room for long explanations, and Wisconsins next stretch matters because it needs something more than a decent showing to change the tone. Each week now feels like one fewer chance to establish that it belongs in the part of the conversation where the conferences real contenders are staying put. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Halloween Stretch Suddenly Looks Like A Season Defining Test
Wisconsins late-October slate just got a lot more interesting, and a lot more visible. The Big Tens Week 9 TV schedule now has the Badgers in a primetime spot against No. 16 USC at 6:30 p.m. on NBC, which gives the program a nationally televised showcase in the heart of the Halloween stretch.
The timing only adds to the pressure, because the USC game comes right before another tough step, a road trip to No. 15 Iowa in FOXs Big Noon Kickoff window. With both matchups carrying plenty of weight and the conference spotlight spread across the day, Wisconsin is about to find out a lot about where it stands as the season turns. [Read more 🡒]