We all had our college football appetizer with Week 0, but the season begins in full force this week, with games being played every day from Thursday through Monday. That includes a contest between No. 14 USC and Fresno State on Friday night in Los Angeles, California.
USC already has a win under its belt, as it beat San Jose State 42-26 last weekend. Of course, most of the discussion about USC following the game wasn't about its performance. It was about the number of empty seats in the stands. Apparently, people didn't want to bake in the sun to watch USC play San Jose State! Will that change on a Friday night when things are a bit cooler, and the opponent a touch more difficult?
We'll find out Friday night. Until then, here's what you need to know about the game.
Date: Friday, September 4 | Time: 9 p.m. ETLocation: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV: Fox | Live stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)
It's a bizarro world Pac-12 matchup: USC used to be in the Pac-12. Its decision to leave the league (alongside UCLA) to join the Big Ten was the beginning of the end of the conference. Soon, Washington and Oregon would follow them out the door, and everyone who remained looked for a lifeboat to jump onto. In the end, only Oregon State and Washington State remained in a two-team conference. Well, it's back, but now with more Mountain West flavor! The league has expanded to eight teams, with Fresno State being one of the newcomers. So it's a matchup of a program that was once a Pac-12 school against a team in its first game as a Pac-12 school. That's college football in 2026, for you.
USC has done well at home in nonconference games: Since Lincoln Riley took over the program, the Trojans are 9-1 in nonconference home games. The lone loss was a 49-35 setback to No. 5 Notre Dame that ended the 2024 regular season. Other than that loss, the Trojans have been dominant, averaging 52.8 points per game.
Fresno State hasn't had much success in these spots: The Bulldogs may be in contention to win the new Pac-12, but they typically don't compete well against top competition. Fresno State is only 2-25 all-time against teams ranked in the AP top 15, and they're only 1-7 in their last eight games against the Big Ten. They did win their 2023 season opener at Purdue, however.
As mentioned, USC has performed very well in games like this whenever the opponent isn't Notre Dame, and the Trojans already have a game under their belt. The lack of rust could help them get off to a quick start here and keep Fresno State from having a real chance of making this game competitive. Also, I do expect a more raucous home atmosphere than the one the Trojans had last weekend. Pick: USC -21.5
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