USC Trojans' Latest Bowl Game Prediction Is Turning Heads

The USC Trojans have a 5-2 record after falling 34-24 to the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Where are the Trojans projected to play in the latest bowl projections, and what could that mean for their season?

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) warms up prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans enter their second bye week of the 2025 season with a 5-2 record after falling on the road to the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend. Out of the bye week, the Trojans will face another tough road challenge against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln on Nov. 1

USC's Bowl Projection Entering Bye Week

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) drops back to throw the ball in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

With a spot in the College Football Playoff not out of reach just yet for USC, USA Today's Erick Smith recently released his bowl game projections. Smith has the Trojans playing Utah in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Dec. 30. This is just the latest of several bowl projections that have USC playing against a Big 12 opponent in the Alamo Bowl.

Big Ten Bowl Game Projections, via Erick Smith of USA Today pic.twitter.com/YzlqzA9gme

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USC and Utah are very familiar with playing against one another as former Pac-12 rivals. In 2022, Utah ruined USC and quarterback Caleb Williams' playoff chances as the Utes beat the Trojans in the regular season and the Pac-12 Championship.

Utah also got the best of Williams and USC in 2023, as they beat the Trojans 34-32 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC leads the series against Utah 13-10, but the Utes have won the last four straight games over the Trojans, dating back to 2021. Beating the Utes in the Alamo Bowl would be sweet revenge for USC fans who witnessed promising seasons ruined by the Utes.

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Utah, like USC, has a 5-2 record on the season and still has a slim chance of sneaking into the 12-team playoff bracket if it can win out. The Utes are coming off a 24-21 loss to the No. 11 BYU Cougars on the road in their annual "Holy War" rivalry game. Utah also lost 34-10 to the No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders at home on Sept. 20.

What Alamo Bowl Appearance Would Mean For USC

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

While many USC fans are hoping that coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans can earn a spot in the playoff, an Alamo Bowl appearance and a win in the game should still satisfy some. An appearance in the Alamo Bowl would likely mean that the Trojans would suffer one more loss on their schedule.

That loss would likely come at the hands of No. 6 Oregon, while USC would beat its other road opponent, Nebraska. USC would also win the remainder of its home games against Northwestern (Nov. 7), Iowa (Nov. 15), and UCLA (Nov. 29).

Missing out on the playoff, however, will definitely put Riley under pressure entering 2026 to earn a spot in the 12-team bracket, especially with the No. 1 recruiting class arriving in Los Angeles. While Riley has proven to be a great developer of players and a recruiter, USC needs to compete for championships.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) talks with Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With the way the last two seasons have gone for USC under Riley, an Alamo Bowl appearance is one step closer to the playoff.