How to Watch USC vs. San Jos State: Preview, TV Channel, Betting Odds

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USC Trojans San Jos State Week 0 2026 USC football Lincoln Riley Jayden Maiava betting odds game preview prediction — Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a full offseason of anticipation, the No. 14 USC Trojans open their highly anticipated 2026 season on Saturday vs. San Jos State.

The matchup marks the beginning of a season where there are seemingly no more excuses for coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. With the No. 1 freshman class in the nation, an FBS-leading amount of returning starters, a Hall of Fame coach in Gary Patterson taking over the defense and multiple seasons to build his culture, Riley has the full infrastructure in place, which makes a College Football Playoff berth the only acceptable benchmark in the Big Ten era.

But becoming a College Football Playoff-caliber team won't start in Week 4 when the Trojans host the No. 2 Oregon Ducks. Instead, it starts in Week 0, where the Trojans must accomplish more than what's expected to be the first "W" on their record.

The Trojans must show they can take that first step against San Jos State, with this game having the potential to set the tone and lay the foundation for everything that comes next.

How to Watch

Date: Saturday, August 29
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, California
TV: NBC
Announcers: Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen

Fans can stream the matchup on Peacock, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com, as well as through live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.

Betting Odds:

DraftKings Sportsbook lines for USC vs. San Jos State:

Spread: USC -38.5 (-105) | San Jos State +38.5 (-115)
Over/Under: 60.5 (-110)
Moneyline: USC -9900 | San Jos State +2400

Preview:

The Trojans open the 2026 season Saturday against San Jos State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, beginning one of the most anticipated seasons in recent USC history. Ranked No. 14 in both the AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll, USC enters the year with an FBS-leading number of returning starters and the No. 1 freshman class in the country.

San Jos State, on the other hand, enters unranked with nothing to lose.

On paper, this is a game USC should win comfortably. The Trojans are 6-0 all-time against the Spartans, with every meeting taking place at the Coliseum. USC also won the teams' most recent matchup 56-28 back in 2023.

The history does not exactly suggest a dramatic Week 0 matchup, but the circumstances surrounding this USC team make Saturday more important than just a win.

Lincoln Riley enters his fifth season at USC without a College Football Playoff appearance. The Trojans went 9-4 last season after opening the year unranked, then climbed all the way to No. 14 entering 2026.

Saturday gives USC its first opportunity to show that the changes made during the offseason can translate into a stronger team. One of the biggest changes is Hall of Fame coach Gary Patterson taking over as defensive coordinator after USC allowed 34.4 points per game in 2023 before improving to 24.1 last season.

The defense has made some progress statistically, but San Jos State will provide an early test after scoring 28 points and gaining 396 total yards against USC in the teams' 2023 meeting. A cleaner performance in 2026 would be an encouraging first look at Patterson's unit.

Then, of course, there is the No. 1 freshman class. USC has enough veteran talent that its freshmen will not be asked to carry the team Saturday, but Week 0 gives the coaching staff a chance to see which young players can earn meaningful roles. Mark Bowman, Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Keenyi Pepe, Luke Wafle, Talanoa Ili, Jaimeon Winfield and Elbert Hill IV are among the freshmen who could see opportunities.

At the center of it all is Jayden Maiava. The redshirt senior returns after a breakout 2025 season in which he led the nation with a 91.2 QBR, threw for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns and started all 13 games for the Trojans.

San Jos State has several connections to the USC roster, too. Spartans safety Maliki Crawford previously played at USC, and San Jos State wide receiver Anthony Ivey was teammates with USC defensive lineman Zuriah Fisher at Penn State. Several other players on both rosters also share high school ties throughout Southern California.

Prediction:

The expectation is clear: USC should and will win this game.

For a program entering 2026 with CFP expectations, however, the first step matters. The final score will tell one part of the story. How USC gets there will tell us much more about what this season has in store.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as How to Watch USC vs. San Jos State: Preview, TV Channel, Betting Odds.

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