USC vs San Jose State Prediction: How Sharp Are the Trojans?
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USC isn’t being talked about as one of the favorites in the new, improved, and dominant Big Ten.
Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, maybe Penn State, and possibly Michigan – they’re all in the Big Ten title hunt. Meanwhile, USC is generally considered a tough out, a good team, and well on its way to a wonderful bowl game with a good title.
This is where it has to show that it’s about to do something special by rolling at will against a San Jose State team with a dangerous passing game, but will struggle to keep up.
USC vs San Jose State: Quick Hits
- USC is 6-0 all-time against San Jose State. Five of them were season openers, and all were double-digit blowouts.
- Coming off a tough 3-9 season with an offense that failed late, San Jose State’s real first team is at Eastern Michigan next week. Throw in trips to Hawaii and UTEP, and the five road games in the first eight dates will be trying.
- This is the first of four likely tune-ups for USC – Fresno State, Louisiana, at Rutgers are next – before dealing with Oregon.
How To Watch USC vs San Jose State
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET
TV: NBC
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
– CFN Week 0 Schedule, Predictions
Why San Jose State Will Win
Don’t just assume USC will be sharp as a tack right away. It lost superstar receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, and overall, the offense is relying on a few too many true freshmen to play big roles right away.
San Jose State also lost a slew of tough players, but head coach Ken Niumatalolo has been able to generate good passing games that do a great job of converting on third downs. The Spartans have to keep generating pressure.
– San Jose State 2026 Preview
Why USC Will Win
Gary Patterson – if the new USC defensive coordinator wasn’t among the best national hires of the offseason, he’s at least close.
He has an amazing linebacking corps to work with, and it’ll want to set a tone right away that this isn’t the same Trojan defense of the last few years. San Jose State will struggle to get to 50 rushing yards.
– USC 2026 Preview
USC vs San Jose State Prediction, Betting Lines
This is about how much muscle USC can flex.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has terrific new weapons in Terrell Anderson from NC State and star freshman Trent Mosley to spread the ball around, and his running backs will carry the load for most of the game.
How has USC done under Lincoln Riley against the first team outside of a power conference on the schedule? His offense scored 73 in last year’s opener against Missouri State, 48 against Utah State, 56 in the 2023 opener against San Jose State, and 66 against Rice.
USC 49, San Jose State 10
Latest Line: USC -38.5, o/u: 60.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 2.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2
Consensus line based on 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.
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