No.16 USC Trojans to face off against TCU in Valero Alamo Bowl

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No.16 USC Trojans to face off against TCU in Valero Alamo Bowl
Close up of Southern California Trojans towel before a NCAAF game against the UCLA Bruins on November 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
Close up of Southern California Trojans towel before a NCAAF game against the UCLA Bruins on November 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.

LOS ANGELES, CA — The No. 16 USC (9-3) will face TCU (8-4) in the 33rd Valero Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Dec. 30, on ESPN.

USC is under .500 when they face TCU, as they have an all-time record of 2-3 against the Horned Frogs. Their most recent matchup was in favor of TCU, as they beat the Trojans 19-28 in the 1998 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

This will be USC's first-ever appearance in the Alamo Bowl. However, this is a return visit for USC head coach Lincoln Riley, who called plays as the interim offensive coordinator for Texas Tech in the Red Raiders' 41-31 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Valero Alamo Bowl, producing 579 yards of offense.  

TCU has played in the Alamo Bowl two other times and holds a 2-0 record. In 2016, the Horned Frogs defeated Oregon 47-41 in triple overtime, and in 2017, TCU defeated Stanford 39-37. 

This will be USC's 59th all-time bowl appearance, and it has an overall record of 36-20 in bowl games. 

The Horned Frogs will represent the Big 12 conference, finishing with an 8-4 record this season.

This will be the fourth straight bowl game appearance for Riley and his Trojans, clocking a record of 2-1 in those respective bowl games. 

Leading the Trojans is QB Jayden Maiava, who has recorded 247-of-373 (.662) for 3,431 yards with 23 TDs. Maiava leads the nation with a 91.2 QBR. 

Maiava led the Big Ten in passing yards (3,431), passing yards per game (285.9), passing yards per completion (13.89), and total offense (298.4). His accuracy is showcased through his excellent ball placement and timing in his high-value and high-difficulty passes as he is No. 2 in the nation with 26 big-time throws, per PFF.

There is a chance that not many of the starters for USC that we have seen will not be as present in this game, like star wide receiver Makai Lemon, but we should still see a very competitive matchup between two franchises that barely come face to face. 

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