Biggest Games USC Trojans Fans Should Watch During Bye Week

The USC Trojans will be idle this week as they have their bye before taking on the Michigan Wolverines on Oct. 11. There are still some must-watch college football games going on around the country. Here are the games USC fans should watch.

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans are on their first bye week of the 2025 season. They will use this time off to regroup after their loss to the No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini last week and get ready to welcome the Michigan Wolverines to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 11.

What are some games this weekend for Trojans fans to watch while the Trojans aren’t in action?

Wisconsin at No. 20 Michigan (9 a.m. PT on FOX)

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) records a video to celebrate 63-3 win over Central Michigan as he exits the field at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USC’s next opponent is the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan will be coming to Los Angeles next week but before that, will host the Wisconsin Badgers for Big Noon Kickoff. 

Michigan is 3-1 this season. Their biggest win was on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Their lone loss was at the Oklahoma Sooners. Wisconsin is 2-2.

The Wolverines are led by freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025. Trojans fans will be able to get a good look at Underwood and company if they tune into this game on Saturday morning. 

No. 22 Illinois at Purdue (9 a.m. PT on Big Ten Network)

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema gives players a hand after a 34-32 win against the Southern California Trojans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois beat USC last week on a walk-off field goal. The week before that, they got blown out by 53 points by Indiana. A bad performance against Purdue would have Trojans fans scratching their heads to how they sandwiched in a win over the Trojans.

The Purdue game is a spot where Illinois can show that the Indiana game was just an outlier and that it wasn’t a bad loss for USC. 

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No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama (12:30 p.m. PT on ABC)

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia exits the field after defeating Utah State at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Vanderbilt Commodores, yes, the Vanderbilt Commodores are going on the road to take on the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide in a game that is the host of ESPN’s College GameDay this week.

It’s not everyday that Vanderbilt football catches the eyes of the nation. They have done so this season and it is well deserved. They are off to a 5-0 start and could arguably be ranked higher than No. 16. They can prove this with a win over Alabama, who just knocked off the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Vanderbilt beat Alabama last season and will look to make it two in a row over the Tide for the first time since 1955-1956.

Boise State at No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

One of USC's biggest rivals, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are fighting to keep their season alive after losing the first two games of the season.

Notre Dame has no ranked teams left on their schedule, unless USC can make their way back into the AP Top 25 Poll. For the Trojans, a potential ranked win over Notre Dame would go a long way for USC's College Football Playoff résumé. However, if Notre Dame stumbles against Boise State, a win over the Fighting Irish looks even less impressive.

No. 7 Penn State at UCLA (12:30 p.m. PT on CBS)

Sep 27, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Fred Davis II (2) tackles UCLA Bruins wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

This game is for the Trojans fan who love to root for the downfall of the UCLA. UCLA has had a disastrous season thus far. They are currently 0-4, fired their coach, and has not led for a second in any game.

Penn State is coming off a tough loss to the Oregon Ducks and will be treating this as a get right game at the Rose Bowl. It could very ugly for the Bruins, making it an enjoyable experience for some. 

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