Aug. 31, 2026, 3:30 p.m. PT
Prior to each game that the USC Trojans play this season, I will be making five predictions for the matchup. Then, after the game, we will revisit them and see how well I did.
So how did I fare with my first predictions of the season for the opener against San Jose State? Let’s look back at them and see:
Jordan strikes first
“Who will score the first USC touchdown of the season? I am going with running back Waymond Jordan.”
The first touchdown was scored by Jayden Maiava on a quarterback sneak. This one was a clear miss.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!A freshman finds the end zone
“As we noted in our depth chart takeaways, USC will start several true freshman at receiver. Here is predicting that at least one of them catches a touchdown in his first college football game.”
This one hit easily, with Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt both catching touchdowns in their college football debuts.
Spreading the (QB) reps
“Sam Huard and Jonas Williams are still competing for the backup QB job. With the game out of hand by halftime, both quarterbacks see action.”
This one never had a shot, as Huard did not suit up due to an injury. Given that there were no reports of him being injured prior to Saturday, however, I feel like it is tough to blame me for this one, no?
Take the over
“As of Thursday night, Action Network has the over/under for the game at 61.5 points. It would not stun me if the Trojans hit this mark by themselves.”
USC did not hit this mark on its own, but San Jose State’s fourth quarter surge did push the game over the total. Thank you, garbage time touchdowns!
A different type of over
“A noon kickoff in August is absolutely brutal. With temperatures projected to get into the 90s on Saturday, I am predicting that over 100,000 bottles of water are consumed inside the Coliseum during the time that gates are open.
“(I unfortunately have absolutely no way of tracking this, so this prediction is purely for fun. In the unlikely event that any of the Coliseum concessions staff read my stories and have access to the water sales data, though, feel free to reach out!)”
Unfortunately, no one from the Coliseum reached out to me, so we have no data on this one.
Overall performance
Of the four predictions that we could actually track, two hit, one missed, and one was affected by an injury. Not a great performance, but not a terrible one, either.
Check back later this week for my five predictions for the Fresno State game!
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