Reign of Troy

The USC Trojans host in-state rival Fresno State this week, looking to secure a 2-0 start to the season before most teams have even played their opener. Following a dominant performance against San Jose State, USC aims to capitalize on this unique Friday night spotlight to maintain their early season momentum. The Trojans return to the Coliseum for the second of three consecutive home games to open the 2026 campaign.

The USC Trojans look to start their season 2-0 as they host fellow in-state opponent Fresno State, who is making the trip down to Los Angeles. The USC Trojans enter this matchup with momentum following a dominant 42-26 victory over San Jose State in week zero, a game they controlled comfortably from start to finish.

Forgive me while I channel my inner Allen Iverson, but are we talking about crowd size? Not the game, not USC's win over San Jose State, but crowd size. Not the fact that Jayden Maiava was damn near perfect and looks like the next Heisman Trophy winner and future No.1 overall pick with Trojans football on his resume, but crowd size.

The USC Trojans opened their season with a dominant 42-26 victory over the San Jose State Spartans this past weekend. In this breakdown, we analyze the standout performances and key takeaways as we identify the winners and losers from USC's season-opening win. Winner: QB Jayden Maivia Jayden Maiava set a new school record for single-game completion percentage at 86.2%.

The USC Trojans kicked off their 2026 campaign with a decisive 42-26 victory over a San Jose State squad that proved to be one of the more potent offenses on the West Coast. USC dominated early, building a commanding 28-0 halftime lead and extending it to 35-3 before resting their starters in the second half. Quarterback Jayden Maiava picked up exactly where he left off last season, validating myweekly predictionwith a surgical performance.

The USC Trojans are set to kick off the 2026 season this weekend against San Jose State in Week Zero. Beyond the chance to start the season on a winning note, the game serves as a critical opportunity to host a plethora of top recruiting targets and current commitments from the 2027 and 2028 classes. The Trojans are set to host an impressive list of prospects this weekend, including several members of their 2027 recruiting class, which currently ranks 13th in the nation.

USC football is officially back. As the Trojans dive into game week for their season-opening clash against San Jose State, we're ready to start up the weekly predictions and break down the first game of the season. The Trojans are stepping into the season with a top-15 ranking and with expectations to make the 12-team bracket for the college football playoffs.

USC opens its 2026 season on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, hosting the San Jose State Spartans in a Week Zero matchup. As projected contenders in the College Football Playoff picture, the Trojans will look to start their season strong with a dominant performance in front of the home crowd.

USC has earned the commitment of 2028 quarterback Trey Wright from Frisco, Texas. The Lone Star High School dual-threat athlete was the first quarterback offered by Lincoln Riley in the 2028 class. Wright far outplays his three-star designation, which will likely end up moving to four stars when the next batch of rankings updates occurs for the 2028 class. His 5,860 total yards as a sophomore ranked best in the country as he helped lead Lone Star to a 15-1 record.

The USC Trojans will begin the 2026 football season ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25. This ranking serves as the defacto ranking used on all game broadcasts until the College Football Playoff rankings begin in late October. The Trojans are tied with BYU at No. 14 and have quite a few opponents that also feature in the rankings which serves as another reminder of just how deep this schedule is for Lincoln Riley and company in 2026.