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Wk 3 · 2026

USC Trojans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Sat, Sep 19

Sat, Sep 19 · SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ · CBS

Weather

No forecast yet. This one is 19 days away. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Big Ten · 1-0
at
3:30pET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential USC by 10.3
Big Ten · no games yet

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. USC is ranked #14 (AP Top 25 · 2026-08-17).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

USC: +10.9#15
Efficiency margin
Rutgers: -1.8#78
USC: 34.6
Offense (pts/100)
Rutgers: 28.7
USC: 23.6
Defense (pts/100)
Rutgers: 30.5
USC: 2076.0
Pace (plays/g)
Rutgers: 65.5
USC: 6.64
Yards / play
Rutgers: no data
USC: 6.00
Yards / play allowed
Rutgers: no data
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

USC: 42.0
Points / game
Rutgers: no data
USC: 26.0
Points allowed
Rutgers: no data
USC: 505
Yards / game
Rutgers: no data
USC: no data
Yards allowed
Rutgers: no data
USC: no data
Pass yds allowed
Rutgers: no data
USC: no data
Rush yds allowed
Rutgers: no data
USC: 1.00
Turnovers / game
Rutgers: no data
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

USC form

W 42-26vs SJSU
2026 season

Rutgers form

No completed games on record.

USC this season

Straight up1-0 · 100% (1 games)
Against the spread0-1 · 0% (1 games)
Over / under1-0 · 100% (1 games)

Rutgers this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 4

OpponentUSCRutgers
Penn State
Big Ten
at Wk 6 · scheduled previewat Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Wisconsin
Big Ten
at Wk 8 · scheduled previewat Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Indiana
Big Ten
at Wk 11 · scheduled previewvs Wk 5 · scheduled preview
Maryland
Big Ten
vs Wk 12 · scheduled previewat Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, USC leads 1–0 · USC won the last one
1 meeting in 2006–2026 · average margin 22.0 points toward USC
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20242024-10-25Rutgers 2042 USCat USCUSC

USC leaders 2025 regular season

PassingJayden Maiava QB #14247/373, 3431 YDS, 23 TD, 8 INT
Husan Longstreet QB #613/15, 103 YDS, 1 TD
RushingKing Miller RB #8131 CAR, 873 YDS, 7 TD
Waymond Jordan RB #288 CAR, 576 YDS, 5 TD
Eli Sanders RB #147 CAR, 264 YDS, 2 TD
ReceivingMakai Lemon WR #679 REC, 1156 YDS, 11 TD
Ja'Kobi Lane WR #849 REC, 745 YDS, 4 TD
Lake McRee TE #8730 REC, 450 YDS, 4 TD
Tanook Hines WR #1628 REC, 398 YDS, 2 TD
Defense
TacklesDesman Stephens II LB #883
Eric Gentry LB #1876
Christian Pierce S #658
SacksBraylan Shelby DE #104.5
Kameryn Crawford DE #13.5
Jide Abasiri DT #973.5
InterceptionsBishop Fitzgerald S #195
Jamaal Jarrett DT #991
Braylan Shelby DE #101

Rutgers leaders 2025 regular season

PassingAthan Kaliakmanis QB #16229/368, 3124 YDS, 20 TD, 7 INT
AJ Surace QB #104/9, 58 YDS, 2 TD
RushingAntwan Raymond RB #3244 CAR, 1241 YDS, 13 TD
Ja'shon Benjamin RB #2068 CAR, 328 YDS, 2 TD
CJ Campbell Jr. RB #022 CAR, 119 YDS
ReceivingKJ Duff WR #860 REC, 1084 YDS, 7 TD
Ian Strong WR #952 REC, 762 YDS, 5 TD
DT Sheffield WR #044 REC, 577 YDS, 5 TD
Kenny Fletcher Jr. TE #1226 REC, 236 YDS
Defense
TacklesJett Elad DB #977
Dariel Djabome LB #867
Kaj Sanders DB #164
SacksBradley Weaver DL #942.5
Eric O'Neill EDGE #992.5
Dariel Djabome LB #82
InterceptionsJett Elad DB #92
Cam Miller CB #71
Bo Mascoe DB #51
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.