The USC Trojans may not have played their best, but they came out on top against their crosstown rivals, the UCLA Bruins, at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night. The win not only allowed them to reclaim the historic Victory Bell but also secured their sixth victory of the season, making them bowl-eligible.
Although there are still many factors to consider, with the Trojans set to face Notre Dame next week, there’s more clarity on which bowl game they might land in. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach have shared their predictions for the College Football Playoff and all the bowl games, including USC’s potential destination
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Both analysts predict the Trojans will play in the Las Vegas Bowl. Due to recent conference realignments, many traditional bowl matchups have been adjusted, with some former Pac-12 tie-ins now involving Big Ten teams. However, certain matchups have been rearranged to prevent Big Ten teams from playing each other. In the Las Vegas Bowl, the Trojans could face a Big Ten team and an SEC opponent. Bonagura has USC playing Missouri, while Schlabach forecasts a matchup with Texas A&M.
USC’s last appearance in Las Vegas was in the season opener when they defeated the LSU Tigers, 27-20. Both potential matchups would be tough for the Trojans, especially the Texas A&M game, given recent recruiting battles. USC recently flipped quarterback Husan Longstreet from A&M and is working on flipping offensive tackle Jonte Newman, with 2026 5-star recruit Brandon Arrington also being recruited by Longstreet to join USC.
Another intriguing possibility is a matchup with Oklahoma, who share the same 6-5 record as USC after beating Alabama.