Which USC will show up Saturday? The Trojans have a huge win and a shocking loss on their resume to date, and they’ll have a chance to prove themselves at the Coliseum against 3-0 Oregon State.
How to watch USC vs. Oregon State: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Can the Trojans recover from their embarrassing defeat?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
USC opened the year with a 52-13 victory over Fresno State, announcing the arrival of the Steve Sarkisian era with a bang against what many figured to be a strong Bulldogs squad. The Trojans managed to one-up themselves the next week, locking down Stanford in the red zone and defeating the Cardinal, 13-10, in their conference opener. Back out on the road for non-conference play the next week, USC was beat up by Boston College en route to an eye-opening 37-31 loss.
Oregon State cruised through an easy non-conference schedule, but its success still can not be ignored. The Beavers have passed the ball well with quarterback Sean Mannion, run the ball efficiently with Terron Ward and Strorm Woods and completely shut down opposing passing games en route to their undefeated start. Mike Riley's squad has a pair of winnable games coming up in Colorado and Utah, giving itself a chance to secure bowl eligibility right off the bat if it can come up with the upset here.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET.
TV: ESPN. Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore and Jessica Mendoza will be on the broadcast.
Radio: For USC, tune in to ESPNLA 710. Here’s a list for Oregon State.
Online streaming: WatchESPN.
The numbers
Rankings and records: USC is ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the Coaches’ Poll. Oregon State is not ranked in either poll. The Trojans are 2-1, with a 1-0 record in Pac-12 play tying them for first in the Pac-12 South. The Beavers are 3-0, and this is their conference opener. USC holds a 60-11-4 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: USC opened as a 13-point favorite, but the line has since dropped to 9. The over/under is 56 points.
Weather forecast: 61 degrees and partly cloudy.
Two things at stake
Despite the loss to Boston College, USC is still in strong position in the Pac-12 South, having already dispatched of Stanford. A win here could get the Trojans back on the right track before a huge matchup against fellow divisional contender Arizona State.
The Beavers are one of seven undefeated teams in the Pac-12 -- it makes sense that no one’s really talking about them. A win here would change that.
One big matchup
USC passing offense vs. Oregon State passing defense. Javorius Allen is running well for USC, but most of the Trojans' offensive success has come through the air this season. Junior Cody Kessler has completed 71 percent of his passes for 8.5 yards per attempt, throwing eight touchdowns against zero interceptions with 846 yards through three games. Nelson Agholor has brought in a large percentage of Kessler's throws, but true freshman JuJu Smith has been an explosive option so far this season.
Oregon State hasn’t faced much in terms of passing offenses, but has shut down what it has played. The Beavers are allowing 4.1 yards per pass attempt this season, giving up 425 yards through the air combined in their first three games. Oregon State has five interceptions this season and has not yet given up a passing touchdown.
Further reading
For full coverage of USC, check out Conquest Chronicles. For more on Oregon State, head to Building the Dam.
See More:
