No. 23 USC at Nebraska Nov. 1

No. 23 USC (5-2) travels to Memorial Stadium to face Nebraska (6-2) on Nov. 1 in a nationally televised game in which the Trojans are favored by about a touchdown. The matchup is pivotal for USC's College Football Playoff and Big Ten hopes after a bye week following a lopsided rushing loss to Notre Dame, and coach Lincoln Riley has urged the team to “burn the boats” and treat the next five games as must-win. USC's offense remains elite (about 530 yards per game) behind Jayden Maiava and other playmakers, but the defense — especially the linebackers — was exposed for 306 rushing yards and poor gap discipline versus Notre Dame. Nebraska counters with a stout pass defense, a hostile, colder Memorial Stadium, and a game plan focused on converting third-and-shorts and turning red-zone trips into touchdowns. The game will hinge on whether USC can stop the run and tighten fundamentals and whether Nebraska can sustain drives and finish them in the red zone.