The anticipation for Lincoln Riley to lead USC to the College Football Playoff has hit a fever pitch as the Trojans prepare for Saturday’s Big Ten showdown vs. long-time rival No. 20 Oregon in Los Angeles. USC has raced out to a 4-0 start to the 2026 season and risen to No. 12 in the rankings, but in order to keep the momentum going on this CFP push, the Trojans need to reverse course against an Oregon side that has had their number in recent years. 

Prior to 2010, Oregon was 5-24-1 against USC in Los Angeles. But recently the series has tilted the other way heavily, with the Ducks winning four of their last five against the Trojans in LA and eight of the last 10 meetings overall, including a 42-27 win in Eugene last year that extended Oregon’s winning streak to four straight in the series. 

That kind of edge in this rivalry between former Pac-12 title winners could be a much-needed boost for Oregon as the Ducks have already seen their wings get clipped once, at Oklahoma State, and now face even slimmer margins for a return to the CFP after back-to-back playoff appearances in 2024 and 2025. This game is also the conference opener for the Ducks, who won the Big Ten in 2024, while USC sits atop the standings after beating Rutgers on the road last week.  

Where to watch USC vs. Oregon live

Date: Saturday, Sept. 26 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — Los Angeles
TV: NBC | Live stream: Fubo (try free)

USC vs. Oregon: Need to know

Multiple Oregon streaks on the line: The Ducks have been one of the most successful programs of the 2020s and entered this season as a popular preseason pick to win the national championship in part due to a heavy collection of returning talent from a team that won 13 games in 2025. But a disappointing start (both in terms of record and performance) now leaves the Ducks facing the possibility of snapping some of the streaks that reflect the program’s dominance this decade. Oregon currently has the longest active streak in all of FBS with 11 straight road wins in conference play, and the Ducks also have not lost a conference opener since 2018. A loss would also drop Oregon to 2-2 and mark the first time since 2016 that a Ducks team has multiple losses through the first four games of the season. 

Jayden Maiava stars in the Coliseum: The USC quarterback is off to a stellar start to the season, leading the FBS in passing touchdowns (12) while throwing just one interception and contributing to one of the best scoring offenses (43.0 points per game) in the Big Ten. His performances at home, in particular, carry on a trend that has followed him since his promotion to starting quarterback at the end of the 2024 season. Maiava has an 11-1 record in 12 career home starts for the Trojans, with 32 touchdowns and just six interceptions at home compared to a 15:11 touchdown-to-interception ratio in road games since joining the Trojans program.  

Trojans looking for new “D” to make the difference: One of the offseason changes for USC was the hire of former TCU head coach Gary Patterson as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Through four games, USC’s results have been mixed: the Trojans have allowed 25+ points in three of their four games but also pitched a 39-0 shutout against Fresno State in Week 1. While USC has dealt with some injury issues and some inconsistent performances within games (late touchdowns from San Jose State and Louisiana have slightly skewed the overall average of 22.8 points per game allowed), needing a pick-6 to help in the effort to beat Rutgers 42-35 last week re-surfaced concerns about how the Trojans will get stops against the best offenses in the conference. With a 49.7 points per game scoring average and future NFL Draft picks all over the field, including at quarterback, Oregon certainly meets the standard of a top offense in the Big Ten and will be a challenge for USC’s re-built defense in this matchup.  

USC vs. Oregon prediction, picks

While the series between these two teams has slanted heavily in Oregon’s favor, USC has not lacked for points against the Ducks. And while the oddsmakers have clearly identified the strength advantage for both teams, predicting a high-scoring game with their over-under total, it might still not be enough points. These two teams combined for 69 points in 2025 and 63 points in 2023, leaving some wiggle room with the current posted total. Pick: Over 61.5 

SportsLine’s proven computer model has simulated every Week 4 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that’s on a 22-19 run on top-rated CFB picks this season.