College Football
#18

USC Trojans

Big Ten · 6-1

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum · 77,500 seats

USC Trojans rank #18 among FBS teams in the Predictium ratings with an opponent-adjusted net rating of +0.099 points per play (Elo 1724), a 6-1 record in the Big Ten, and 46% of that rating still riding on preseason priors.

Ratings

Net rating
+0.099
#18 in FBS
Offense
+0.080
higher is better
Defense
-0.018
lower is better
SOS
+0.065
mean opp. rating
Elo
1724
Off EPA/play
+0.094
higher is better
Def EPA/play
+0.017
lower is better
Off success
+0.046
Def success
-0.012
Off explosive
+0.013
Def explosive
-0.010
Rush EPA
-0.004
offense
Pass EPA
+0.204
offense
Pts / drive
3.49
9.2 drives/gm
Pts / opportunity
4.13
inside opp 40

Offense and Defense are the net rating's own split (offense − defense reconciles to net rating exactly); everything else is opponent-adjusted, per play. Defensive numbers are from the defense's perspective: negative means opponents produced less than expected. SOS is the mean net rating of every opponent on the schedule.

What drives our rating

No black box: these are the actual model inputs behind USC's number, including exactly how much is still preseason prior versus observed play.

Preseason prior+0.123

Where our rating started before a snap was played

Prior season rating+0.153

Last season's final rating, for comparison

Offseason adjustment-0.030

This season's prior minus last season's final rating — our offseason risers/fallers number

Prior remaining46%

How much of today's rating still rides on that prior — fades as real games arrive

Returning production59%

Share of last season's production (PPA) back on the roster

Recruiting talent+1.67σ

Recruiting talent, standard deviations above the FBS average

Transfer portal-11.1 pts

Net production gained or lost through the transfer portal

Coaching changeNo

First-year head coach adds uncertainty and resets some priors

Quarterback

J. Maiava2 starts

Rating trajectory

Weekly net rating across the season — starts at the preseason prior and moves as real games replace it.

+0.120.00Wk 1Wk 8

Schedule & results

WkOpponentResultOur lineMarketATS
1vsSan José StateW 42–26———
1vsFresno StateW 39–0———
2vsLouisianaW 49–30———
3@RutgersW 42–35———
4vsOregonL 27–41———
5vsWashingtonW 25–21———
6@Penn StateW 31–23———
8@WisconsinOct 24———
9vsOhio StateOct 31———
11@IndianaNov 14———
12vsMarylandNov 21———
13@UCLANov 28———