Iowa vs USC Prediction: Can the Hawkeyes Ruin the Trojan Plans?

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Can USC really make a late playoff push? Can it get by this to set up the showdown at Oregon in the battle to be the Big Ten’s third-best team?

It had one bad late gaffe against Illinois and suffered a loss to a great Notre Dame team. That’s it. Otherwise, the Trojans have been explosive, fun, and successful. With the Ducks next week and UCLA to close, win the next three games, get into the CFP.

Iowa will try to drag this down to its style and tempo.

It came painfully close to beating Oregon last week, but if it can pull this off, it has a real shot to finish with ten wins with Michigan State and Nebraska next before going bowling.

Iowa vs USC Preview

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.© Gary A&period; Vasquez-Imagn Images

How To Watch Iowa vs USC

Why Iowa Will Win

It’s Iowa. It’s going to be in the game until the end, because that’s what it does, and this year, it’s gone full Iowa.

The two turnovers were a problem against Oregon, but once again, penalties weren’t an issue in any way …

One. That’s how many times the nation’s best team, when it comes to fewest penalties, got flagged. It’s not going to beat itself and give USC anything easy to work with.

The pass rush might not be anything great, but it’s okay – the D is doing a good enough job of getting off the field with just enough bending without breaking. The other line is taking care of keeping control of games.

The Hawkeyes don’t give up a ton of sacks, and with this bunch, it’s all about yards per carry. Iowa 6-0 when running for more than 3.5 yards per carry. USC has allowed that many or more in every game but the wins over Missouri State and Purdue, but …

Why USC Will Win

The Hawkeyes lost the two times they dealt with anyone with any sort of firepower – Indiana and Oregon. Granted, they kept both attacks from going off, but …

Both of those games were in Iowa City.

USC is a completely different team at home. It struggled in wins over Nebraska and Purdue on the road, lost Notre Dame and Illinois, and won all five games by two touchdowns or more in LA.

The difference has been in the rushing yards. The ground game worked fine at Nebraska, but at home, it goes off, averaging way over seven yards per carry – the Trojans ran for well over 200 yards against Michigan.

Iowa’s run defense is a different animal, but …

Iowa vs USC Prediction, Betting Lines

Oregon ran for 261 yards and averaged over seven yards per carry last week against the Hawkeyes.

The Iowa style sort of travels, but wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers are nothing compared to going to USC and dealing with this high-powered attack. The Trojans will bring out the Hawkeye offensive pop – Mark Gronowski will throw a bit more – but the pace will get too fast.

USC will pass a key test before the showdown at Oregon.

USC 27, Iowa 20
Line: USC -6.5, o/u: 48.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
Must See Rating: 4

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. 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.

– CFP Rankings Reaction to Every Top 25 Spot

This story was originally reported by College Football News on Nov 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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