The No. 19 USC Trojans are one of the few ranked teams on a bye during week 7, meaning USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans have time to rest and recover while also preparing for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, members of the USC program and Trojans fans will have an opportunity to watch some other college football teams on Saturday, including a few key opponents coming up on the USC schedule. Which four games should Trojans fans focus on the most without a USC game to focus on during the week 7 slate?
Ohio State vs. Indiana
The matchup between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana features not only the highest ranked opponents facing off during week 7 but also the USC Trojans' highest-ranked opponents that remain on the schedule.
USC will host Ohio State on Oct. 31, and the Trojans will travel on the road to face Indiana on Nov. 14.
Picking up an upset win over either the Buckeyes or the Hoosiers would do wonders for the Trojans' College Football Playoff resume, so watching the two teams square off will be insightful for USC fans. Indiana has had some close calls against Northwestern and Nebraska this season while Ohio State has looked dominant, even in their one loss to Texas during week 2.
Might one of Indiana or Ohio State look more beatable after the two teams square off?
Wisconsin vs. UCLA
Similar to the Ohio State vs. Indiana game, Wisconsin vs. No. 12 UCLA will also feature two of USC's upcoming opponents.
The Wisconsin matchup could be a trap game for the Trojans if the team is looking ahead towards Ohio State, so seeing what the Badgers are made of will be key for USC coming out of the bye. On the other hand, UCLA lost starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending injury in the Bruins' upset win over the Oregon Ducks.
How UCLA looks without Iamaleava at quarterback remains to be seen, but Trojans fans can learn a lot when the Bruins take on the Badgers on Saturday.
Notre Dame vs. BYU
When USC and No. 2 Notre Dame did not reach a scheduling agreement to continue playing one of the most storied rivalries in the history of college football, the Fighting Irish filled the hole in their schedule with No. 8 BYU. Saturday marks the first game of a home-and-home agreement between BYU and Notre Dame, meaning the Cougars will travel to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish in 2027.
Both BYU and Notre Dame are currently undefeated and ranked inside the top 10, helping to replace some of the excitement lost when the rivalry with the Trojans was put on pause.
Can BYU make USC fans proud and pull off the upset over Notre Dame?
Oregon vs. Nebraska
Lastly, USC fans may find some pleasure watching the Oregon vs. Nebraska game, especially if the Ducks continue to struggle after falling to UCLA.
However, Oregon is currently the only loss on USC's schedule. As a result, having the Ducks succeed and re-enter the AP Top 25 Poll would actually benefit the Trojans and give them a more "quality loss." While rooting for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks may be difficult, USC fans may have a win-win situation on their hands.
If the Ducks can beat Nebraska, USC's resume gets a slight boost. On the other hand, Trojans fans likely won't have a problem seeing their West Coast rival fall to the Cornhuskers.
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