Micah's expectations for USC vs TCU Alamo Bowl game

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The USC Trojans have quite an opportunity in front of them on Tuesday, with a bowl game against a beatable opponent in TCU. The Trojans are coming into this game returning many of their stars for the 2026 season. Jayden Maiava and Company will be able to display exactly what kind of football the Trojans will play in 2026 on Tuesday night.

Here are my five expectations for the USC Trojans’ Alamo Bowl game versus TCU:

Jayden Maiava throws for 300 yards

What a perfect way for Maiava to show USC Trojan faithful and the rest of college football he is returning and coming for more than a massive performance in a bowl game victory. Maiava will be without his top receivers and his top tight end, but it will be the perfect opportunity to build new connections with the young guys. Tanook Hines will be the #1 option for Maiava in this bowl game, and the flashes that were shown this season for star potential will come to fruition as he gets more targets. I expect a big showing from Hines and that connection between him and Maiava to show it can be a lethal one in 2026. The Trojans have one of the best play callers in the country and a quarterback that can execute at a high level; if TCU did not already know that, they will, as Maiava will throw for 300 yards and put up a big MVP-level performance.

King Miller runs wild

In TCU’s losses this season, each has featured a big day on the ground from their opponent. Raleek Brown with Arizona State had 134 yards and a 6.4 yards per carry average in their win over TCU. Carson Hansen with Iowa State ran for 108 yards and a touchdown against TCU. It will be a similar outcome with one of the best rushing attacks in the country in USC facing off against TCU. King Miller got better and better each week, and this upcoming bowl game will be the perfect time to display that. I think King Miller will burn the Horned Frogs for 120 yards on the ground and run for 2 touchdowns.

Jahkeem Stewart dominates

Bowl games are a great opportunity to see young guys on your team get their chance to shine. Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart had many moments where he shone in key football games for the Trojans this season, just like his interception verus Iowa that shifted that game and took the momentum. Stewart will make many plays versus TCU. I think Stewart finishes this game with many tackles for loss and at least one sack. Stewart is one player the Trojans have to be excited about heading into next year, and he will put that notion on full display versus TCU.

D’Anton Lynn and the Trojans’ defense take advantage of backup quarterback Ken Seals 

With Josh Hoover in the transfer portal, that leaves backup quarterback Ken Seals to take over the show. Seals has only put up 24 yards passing this season. This is a good opportunity for Lynn to put up one last dominant defensive performance for the season. I think the Trojans’ defense will make Seals’ first start at TCU, one he won’t forget for all the wrong reasons. I think the Trojans’ defense brings down Seals 5 times, and they pick him off twice. It will be great to see some flashes from the young players on this defense, and having a quarterback with limited experience in games with their offense should result in just that.

Trojans win convincingly

TCU has gotten outmatched versus tough opponents this season, like their 44-13 loss to BYU. They have yet to face an offense to the caliber of the USC Trojans, regardless of whether USC lost players to pre-draft preparation. USC still is a nightmare offense to face, and I think USC will separate itself in this game early. There is no Josh Hoover in this matchup for TCU. I think the Trojans win by multiple possessions, and Lincoln Riley puts the cherry on top of a season full of improvements.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Bold predictions for USC football Alamo Bowl vs TCU Horned Frogs

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