College\u00a0football Week 0 is officially here, and\u00a0on Saturday in Los Angeles,\u00a0USC kicks off its season hosting San Jose State\u00a0at 3\u00a0p.m. ET on NBC.\u00a0The Trojans are the lone Big Ten team to play this week and have an opportunity to set the scene for a campaign with\u00a0high expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lincoln Riley\u2019s Trojans enter the 2026 season looking to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, and the team has all the ammunition to do so. USC\u00a0 On defense, the trio of Kameryn Crawford, Desman Stephens II, and Braylan Shelby creates a formidable core for new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson to build around. During his tenure at TCU, Patterson’s defenses led the nation in total defense five separate times \u2014 including three consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2010. With veterans returning at all three levels, the Trojan defense is primed to take a major step forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25, the Trojans will certainly have their chance to prove their mettle against the\u00a0country’s elite this fall, with home tests against Oregon,\u00a0Washington, and\u00a0Ohio State alongside road trips to Penn State and Indiana. But the path to a special season begins Saturday afternoon in L.A., giving Riley and his squad their first official platform to\u00a0showcase\u00a0that potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n returns an\u00a0FBS-high 15 starters
\n <\/a>\u00a0across\u00a0both sides of the ball, including quarterback Jayden Maiava, who steps back into the spotlight following a breakout campaign where he ranked\u00a0fourth\u00a0nationally with 3,711 passing yards,\u00a0along with\u00a024 passing touchdowns, 6 rushing scores\u00a0and a nation-leading\u00a091.2 QBR. Alongside\u00a0Maiava, the Trojans have running backs Waymond Jordan and\u00a0King Miller\u00a0back in Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/p>\n