Illinois football vs. USC Trojans – Saturday, September 27 (No time set)
This is a weird thing to say, but Illinois has homecoming against the USC Trojans. It has been a few years, but it is still weird to see PAC-12 teams in the Big Ten.
USC has really struggled to find its footing since Caleb Williams departed. They are coming off one of the weirder seasons, where they finished 7-6 overall but beat both LSU and Texas A&M.
That version of the Trojans was led by quarterback Miller Moss, who threw for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He has since transferred to Louisville and got a bag.
Jayden Maiava now has the keys to the car. He is going to be driving this thing in 2025, and that isn’t a bad thing for the Trojans. Maiava does have experience, as he threw for 1,201 yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions for USC last season.
I think this is a great matchup for Illinois. USC has a quarterback who is clearly turnover-prone, despite being able to throw for touchdowns. Maiava will make mistakes, and you better believe Miles and Xavier Scott will be ready to scoop up some bad passes. USC will be able to put up points, though.
USC’s problem hasn’t been the offense. It is their defense that struggles. They ranked No. 86 in pass defense and No. 46 in rush defense in 2024. That defense doesn’t have much in the way of a fear pass rusher, and they don’t have ball hawks in the secondary. In addition to that, they lost their leading tackler to the NFL.
Like I said earlier, this game sets up well for Illinois. USC has a good offense that is turnover-prone. They have a weak defense that can allow a bunch of points. Look for Illinois to open some eyes with this victory.
Final score: Illinois 38 – USC 17