No. 16 USC (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten). Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. Central), Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, NBC.
Your hosts are Sterling Ashworth-Vance, a USC film buff who narrates every game like a movie trailer, and Lars "Brat" Ellefson, a former Badgers fullback who carries a cheese wedge to every game and talks to a polka beat.
Sterling: In a world... where one team plays every Saturday like it's opening night. Brat, a cheese wedge at every game? Magnificent costume design.
Brat: Pass the curds, Sterling. I'll be in your movie, as long as I get to play the fullback. Oom-pah.
Players to watch
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava has completed 152 of 224 passes for 2,045 yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. Running back King Miller has 595 yards and four touchdowns. Receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt has 27 catches for 400 yards. Safety Kennedy Urlacher has three sacks, and cornerback Prophet Brown has two interceptions.
Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph has 1,198 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's also the leading rusher, with 333 yards and four touchdowns on 69 carries. Receiver Tyrell Henry has 27 catches for 343 yards. Linebacker Cooper Catalano leads with 50 tackles, and safety Marvin Burks Jr. has two interceptions.
Brat: A quarterback who's also the leading rusher. That's fullback heart.
What happened last week
Wisconsin lost 17-7 at UCLA. Joseph ran 18 times for 71 yards and a touchdown but completed only 6 of 16 passes.
USC had a week off after winning 31-23 at Penn State on Oct. 10. Maiava went 21 of 33 for 301 yards and three touchdowns. Miller ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Trent Mosley caught nine passes for 111 yards and a score.
Sterling: Three hundred and one yards in Happy Valley. Roll credits.
Injuries and availability
The official Big Ten availability report for this game hasn't been published yet, and no injury news had surfaced for either team as of Oct. 18.
What the coaches are up to
Lincoln Riley has led USC since November 2021. His offense throws for 310.1 yards a game, seventh in FBS, and converts 51.2% of third downs. Next week, USC hosts No. 3 Ohio State.
Luke Fickell has led Wisconsin since November 2022. His defense allows 286.7 yards and 16.7 points a game. Michigan State managed only three points against it.
Player storylines
Maiava against Wisconsin's pass defense, ranked 20th, is the scene everyone will remember. On the other side, USC's pass defense ranks 109th, so Joseph should have chances. USC allows opponents to score on 84.6% of red-zone trips, and Wisconsin scores on 94.1% of its own. Wisconsin is 3-0 at home.
What's happening on campus
It's a national prime-time game on NBC under the Camp Randall lights. The kickoff forecast is 65 degrees and mostly cloudy, with a south wind at 10 mph. Brat calls that perfect brat weather. Next week, Wisconsin visits No. 15 Iowa.
Anything else fun and true
USC leads the series 7-1. USC won the last meeting 38-21 on Sept. 28, 2024. Wisconsin's lone win came 23-21 on Dec. 30, 2015. The teams also met in 1965 and 1966, both USC wins. USC's only loss this season came against Oregon, 41-27.
Sterling: Seven to one. A franchise with a strong track record, Brat.
Brat: Sequels can surprise you, Sterling. Night game, Camp Randall rocking, and the whole place jumping by the fourth quarter. Oom-pah.
The Cover Window
My call: USC Trojans 26, Wisconsin Badgers 25.