USC Trojans
0–0 · 0–0 BIG TEN
Way too early
WEEK 3 · 2026
7%
Big Ten title game
2%
Win the Big Ten
18%
Make the playoff
<1%
First-round bye
avg seed 9.6
Way-too-early read: ratings carry last season forward — the portal will have opinions. The week-3 job: beat Rutgers.
The Saturday rundown
ranked by what moves USC's pathYour game
TBD
SAT SEP 19
USC at Rutgers
Your game. Beat Rutgers and your playoff odds are 20%; lose and they drop to 6%.
USC 82%
Worth a glancesmaller, but real
TBD
SAT SEP 19
Buffalo at Penn State
You still play Penn State in week 6.
Penn State 97%
TBD
SAT SEP 19
UTSA at Texas
UTSA winning thins out the at-large competition for your playoff spot.
Texas 86%
TBD
SAT SEP 19
Florida State at Alabama
Florida State winning thins out the at-large competition for your playoff spot.
Alabama 88%
…
… · ABC
LSU at Ole Miss
LSU winning thins out the at-large competition for your playoff spot.
Ole Miss 83%
TBD
SAT SEP 19
Miami (OH) at Cincinnati
Cincinnati winning thins out the at-large competition for your playoff spot.
Cincinnati 69%
50 more games that don't move your needle
Syracuse at Pittsburgh
Miami at Wake Forest
Georgia at Arkansas
Florida at Auburn
Troy at Missouri
New Mexico at Oklahoma
Mississippi State at South Carolina
Kennesaw State at Tennessee
Kentucky at Texas A&M
NC State at Vanderbilt
Tulane at Kansas State
Northern Illinois at Arizona
BYU at Colorado State
Colorado at Northwestern
Bowling Green at Iowa State
Arkansas State at TCU
Georgia State at UCF
Utah State at Utah
Virginia at West Virginia
Houston at Texas Tech
Kansas at Arizona State
North Carolina at Clemson
SMU at Louisville
Stanford at Duke
Virginia Tech at Maryland
Western Kentucky at Indiana
UTEP at Michigan
Akron at Minnesota
Kent State at Ohio State
Purdue at UCLA
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin
James Madison at San Diego State
Fresno State at San José State
North Texas at Texas State
UConn at Southern Miss
East Carolina at Old Dominion
Florida International at Florida Atlantic
Western Michigan at Rice
Temple at Toledo
UAB at Louisiana
Nevada at Middle Tennessee
Wyoming at Central Michigan
Charlotte at App State
Ball State at Liberty
Ohio at South Alabama
Louisiana Tech at Baylor
Coastal Carolina at Delaware
Georgia Southern at Jacksonville State
Marshall at Missouri State
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Based on 50,000 season simulations entering week 3, with last season's ratings carried forward — way too early, enjoy responsibly.