At 0-2, it is fair to say that Rutgers is in a rut. The Scarlet Knights have scored 21 points in each of their first two games, yet they still lost both contests. Defensively, they have struggled as well, allowing a combined 65 points while losing each game by at least a touchdown. More concerning is that neither of their first two opponents is remotely comparable to the caliber of team they will face on Saturday in USC, arguably one of the top teams in both the Big Ten and the nation.
USC enters Saturday's matchup ranked No. 12 in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten. Rutgers, by comparison, sits dead last in the conference at No. 18. Through three games, the Trojans have outscored their opponents 130-56 and have looked every bit like a legitimate conference contender. Leading the way is 6-foot-4 sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava, who has thrown 10 touchdown passes against just one interception through USC's first three games. Rutgers quarterback AJ Surace has had a much different start to the season. He didn’t get the starting bid coming into 2026 and didn’t play until he replaced injured Week 1 starter Dylan Lonergan against Boston College in the fourth quarter. Since then, he has thrown four touchdown passes and four interceptions, highlighting one of the many disparities between these two teams.
Statistically, the gap between these programs is difficult to ignore. USC boasts one of the nation's most explosive offenses, while Rutgers is still searching for its first win. Arguably, USC has more important games on the horizon after this one, but Southern California won’t want to show any weakness before heading back home to face Oregon. I can see them staying competitive deep into the fourth quarter. At that point, Rutgers may catch a few breaks, possibly cutting the deficit to somewhere near 24 points. However, I don’t think they’ll be able to close the gap enough to make it happen.
Rutgers vs USC prediction: USC -24 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -24 (-125).
