When No. 24 USC faces Cal on the road Saturday in the 112th meeting between the in-state rivals, it will be the end of an era as Saturday's game will be the last time the Trojans and Bears meet as Pac-12 foes with USC moving to the Big Ten next season. USC is coming off a last-second loss to Utah last weekend and will need to win out to have a shot at a spot in the Pac-12 title game.
The Trojans started the season 6-0 but have since dropped back-to-back games, all but ending their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams has struggled during the month of October. Against Utah, he failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in his USC career. This comes after Williams' first three-interception game in a blowout loss to Notre Dame.
Cal is the last unranked team on the Trojans schedule. USC is hoping to get some momentum going before a brutal home stretch that includes Oregon, Washington and UCLA on the horizon.
After starting the season 2-1, Cal has dropped three of its last four games. The Bears are coming off consecutive losses to Oregon State and Utah and will need to win three of their final five games to get back to a bowl game for the first time since the 2019 season.
How to watch USC vs. Cal live
Date: Sat. Oct. 28 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: California Memorial Stadium -- Berkeley, California
TV: Pac-12 Network | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
USC vs. Cal: Need to know
One final game in the rivalry: This marks final matchup between the California programs for the foreseeable future thanks to conference realignment. USC leads the all-time series 72-6-33 and won 17 consecutive meetings between 2004-17. However, Cal has bounced back to win two of the last four rivalry tilts, including a 24-14 victory the last time this game was played in Berkeley. Last year the Golden Bears came into this game with a 3-6 record, but took the Trojans to the wire in a 41-35 loss in Los Angeles. Cal may not match up talent-wise with USC, but don't expect the Golden Bears to be intimidated.
Can the Trojans defense stop the run?: USC's defensive struggles have centered on its inability to slow down the run. The Trojans are allowing 164.3 rushing yards per game, ranking dead last in the Pac-12. Cal is averaging 195.4 yards per game on the ground, good enough for third in the conference. Cal running back Jaydn Ott leads the team in rushing with 601 yards on the year. The Golden Bears are 2-0 when he eclipses the 100 yards rushing and 1-4 when he's held under the century mark. Look for them to get him going as they try to pull off an upset.
The state of the USC locker room: After last week's deflating loss, the Trojans CFP hopes look more like a pipe dream considering no two-loss team has ever made college football's final four. Williams' goal of winning a second Heisman also look to be on life support. Add in the fact that Riley missed a good chunk of the week's practice with an illness and you can't help but wonder about the state of the Trojans locker room going into this game. This game feels like a crossroads where we either see USC spiral or pick itself off the mat, rally together and become a problem for the teams left on its schedule.
USC vs. Cal prediction
Odds via SportsLine consensus
The Trojans have played only two complete games on both sides of the ball in 2023. The first was a win over Nevada, who is one of the worst teams in the FBS. The second was the Pac-12 opener against Stanford on Sept. 9, who is currently hovering at the bottom of the Pac-12 standings. USC needs a complete game in the worst way this week in order to build confidence for the upcoming gauntlet. Despite USC being a double-digit favorite, 11 points seems like a line the Trojans should easily cover if they want to get back to their winning ways. Pick: USC -11
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