Setting the Tone in LA: USC Opens Season Against San Jose State in Week 0

College football Week 0 is officially here, and on Saturday in Los Angeles, USC kicks off its season hosting San Jose State at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. The Trojans are the lone Big Ten team to play this week and have an opportunity to set the scene for a campaign with high expectations. 

Lincoln Riley’s 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  returns an FBS-high 15 starters  across both sides of the ball, including quarterback Jayden Maiava, who steps back into the spotlight following a breakout campaign where he ranked fourth nationally with 3,711 passing yards, along with 24 passing touchdowns, 6 rushing scores and a nation-leading 91.2 QBR. Alongside Maiava, the Trojans have running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller back in Los Angeles. 

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 — 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. 

Ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25, the Trojans will certainly have their chance to prove their mettle against the country's elite this fall, with home tests against Oregon, Washington, and Ohio 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 showcase that potential. 

Before kickoff, catch up on every major plotline, team transformation, and key storyline across the conference in our  2026 Big Ten storylines preview.