LSU Tigers vs USC Trojans Prediction & Picks - NCAA

Prediction published on 8/30/24, 7:30 PM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 9/1/24 at 12:35 AM in NCAA Picks

The opening week of college football will fittingly conclude with the battle between two prestigious football programs as the No.23 USC Trojans kick off a new season in a new conference against the No.13 LSU Tigers in Sunday’s Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegiant Stadium. The Trojans wrapped up their last season in the Pac-12 with a 5-4 record (8-5 overall) and won the Holiday Bowl after clobbering the Louisville Cardinals 44-28. After decades of competing in the Pac-12, USC will be banging helmets with college football powerhouses such as Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, and many more in the Big Ten Conference. The Trojans addressed some holes on their roster this summer. With Caleb Williams bolting for the NFL, USC acquired a promising young quarterback in Jayden Maiava from UNLV via the transfer portal. For now, it looks like Maiava will be playing behind starting quarterback Miller Moss, who posted 372 yards on 23-for-33 passing with six touchdowns and one interception in the Holiday Bowl win against Louisville. The LSU Tigers are raring to get back into the National Title picture after missing out on the College Football Playoffs for four consecutive seasons. LSU has loaded up its lineup by bringing in new faces through the high-school recruitment and transfer portal. Garrett Nussmeier has a big shoe to fill at quarterback with the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels to the NFL. However, Nussmeier made a strong impression in LSU’s ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin, 35-31, as he threw for 395 yards with three touchdowns.