Till Week 6, it felt like Trojans football was back after three years of mediocrity. The Trojans were 4-0, winning hearts and turning many heads. But then came injury plagues. Players started dropping fast, especially in the trenches. They won their game against Michigan, but the roster looked depleted. Bret Bielema’s Illinois and Notre Dame rolled over them. Just when you thought it would get better, injury news put another dent in their roster heading into this weekend.

On October 28, College football insider, Connor Morrissette, hopped onto and spilled the injury beans: “Lincoln Riley said after practice today that he couldn’t guarantee the team’s offensive line will be back to how it started the season this week at Nebraska. LT Elijah Paige and C Kilian O’Connor are progressing, but still may need more time. Paige seems closer to being ready.”

USC offensive linemen Elijah Paige and Kilian O’Connor have missed time with injuries this season. Paige sustained an injury in the Week 4 game against Michigan State. The starting center, O’Connor, suffered a knee injury in the Week 5 loss to Illinois. Coach Lincoln Riley hopes both players will return for the Nebraska game.

He explained, “I think it’s more realistic now. Wouldn’t say we’re for sure there, but it’s definitely more realistic than it’s been here the last several weeks.” It means that while it’s not guaranteed, the chances of having Paige and O’Connor back are higher after the team has had some extra time to recover.

Paige, who started all 13 games last season, was a fine offensive line anchor. In his and O’Connor’s absence, USC has had to shuffle its offensive line, which notably struggled in the recent game against Notre Dame. The run game, which had performed well the prior week, only managed 68 yards against the Fighting Irish, and Jayden Maiava was under pressure all night long and got sacked twice. Meanwhile, Notre Dame scored 306 rushing yards, establishing the team’s dominance.

Before the injury mania, USC’s O-line was easily one of the best in the Big Ten. They were also named to the Joe Moore Award Mid-season Honor Roll. The line did a splendid job protecting Jayden Maiava in pass protection, allowing only five sacks in the first seven games. Despite lingering questions and uncertainty about the O-line, the Trojans are still the favorites heading into this matchup.

USC Trojans vs Nebraska Odds: Who’s got the edge?

When we look at their records and numbers, USC holds the upper hand in most statistical categories. The Trojans come into the game with five wins, two losses, and a 3-1 record in the Big Ten. They have beaten Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue, but lost to former ranked teams like Illinois and Notre Dame. One more loss could derail Lincoln Riley’s playoff aspirations.

One thing about the Trojans’ football team is that they play some of their best on the offensive side. Under Lincoln Riley’s play-calling, they’re still averaging 42.4 points per game, and their passing attack ranks among the best in the country at 326 yards per game.

Even their run game has some dawg in it, producing about 203.9 yards per contest. What ruins their games, though, is the defense – they give up a lot of points and yards, primarily through the air. As the old saying goes, defense wins championships.

USC is favored to win by 6.5 points. On the moneyline, USC is -250 (expected to win) and Nebraska is +200 (underdog). The total anticipated points in the game are 59.5, which suggests it could be a high-scoring matchup. USC is slightly worse than Nebraska regarding taking care of the ball and avoiding turnovers.