No. 15 USC can remain in College Football Playoff contention while putting a conference rival’s playoff hopes in jeopardy by winning Saturday at No. 7 Oregon in the Big Ten’s biggest game of the weekend.
No. 18 Michigan also will be seeking to keep its playoff hopes intact when it goes to Maryland.
Game of the week
No. 15 USC (8-2, 6-1) at No. 7 Oregon (9-1, 6-1), 2:30 p.m., CBS-2
Oregon has won five of its last six meetings with USC, including three straight. The Trojans rank sixth among FBS teams in total offense (488.9 yards per game), while the Ducks are third in total defense (235.4 ypg). Oregon is a 9½-point favorite.
The undercard
No. 18 Michigan (8-2, 6-1) at Maryland (4-6, 1-6), 3 p.m., BTN
Michigan still has a potential path to the playoff if it knocks off Maryland and then beats No. 1 Ohio State for a fifth consecutive season. The Terrapins have lost six straight, but the Wolverines can’t take anything for granted after needing a Dominic Zvada field goal as time expired to beat Northwestern 24-22 last week at Wrigley Field. Michigan is a 13½-point favorite.
Impact players
Penn State RB Kaytron Allen’s 181-yard performance in a 28-10 victory over Michigan State marked the Nittany Lions’ highest rushing total since Journey Brown ran for 202 yards in a Cotton Bowl win capping the 2019 season. Allen’s 3,794 career rushing yards rank third in school history behind Evan Royster’s 3,932 from 2007-10 and Saquon Barkley’s 3,843 from 2015-17.
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin has completed 80.1% of his passes, putting him on pace to break the FBS record owned by Bo Nix, who completed 77.5% of his attempts for Oregon in 2023.
Minnesota DL Anthony Smith has five sacks over his last four games to improve his season total to a Big Ten-leading 9½. He’s attempting to become the first Minnesota player to have at least 10 sacks in a season since Willie VanDeSteeg had 10½ in 2008.
Inside the numbers
No. 1 Ohio State has allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards in each of its last nine games, tying a school record. … Illinois (7-3, 4-3) can match its highest victory total over a two-year stretch by winning one of its final two games. … Wisconsin (3-7, 1-6) is at risk of losing at least eight games for the first time since a 1-10 finish in 1990. … Andrew Marsh’s 12 catches and 189 yards against Northwestern represented the highest totals in both categories by a Michigan freshman since at least 1979.
Get to know him
Michigan RB Bryson Kuzdal, who began his college career as a walk-on, got pressed into duty against Northwestern and responded by rushing for 53 yards on 15 carries. Kuzdal, who now is on scholarship, might be needed again this weekend as the Wolverines deal with injuries to Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall.
