All eyes are on Sunday, September 1. The USC Trojans and LSU Tigers will hit the gridiron at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are coming off an 8-5 season, while for the LSU, it was 10-3 in 2023. Now that the energy is at its peak, on August 28, the Crain & Company podcast hosts and guest Matt Moscona came up with their take on the Sunday matchup. Meanwhile, it’s extra special for the Riley army, which plays its first game in the Big Ten. Besides the podcast, other analysts also dropped in their takes.  

According to the standings, Riley’s squad stands at No. 23, while LSU holds the No.13 rank. Fans could not wait for the night before Labor Day when the two would hit the field. Things will be tough on USC’s end since this season will be the first time without their quarterback champ, Caleb Williams. However, there is not much difference since Brian Kelly will replace the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Jayden Daniels.  

Of all things similar, Jake Crain highlighted a difference, “It’s got to be LSU’s offensive line versus USC’s front seven on defense…outside of that these teams are d*mn near the same.” Highlighted by the podcast host, the Tigers, at one point, were the only school to go 12 years straight with a defensive lineman drafted. According to the reports, On3 ranked in the top 10 offensive line units, and the Tigers got the No.1 spot. As they head for the 2024 season, the stars from the O-line are starting guards Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger and the new starting center, DJ Chester. 

This was enough for Moscona to drop a bold claim, “I think this is the best. This is definitely the most talented offensive line LSU’s ever had.” However, Jake refused to admit that USC’s defense would be enough to crush the Tigers’ O-line, as he stated, “I like Mason Cobb on USC’s defense. I think he’s a good player. I don’t think they got enough good players to be able to handle this LSU offense even after losing Jayden Daniels and Brian Thomas and Malik Nabers.” Here are other platforms’ predictions for the September 1 showdown.

Analysts’ take on Lincoln Riley’s USC vs. Brian Kelly’s LSU matchup

As delved into by Forbes, the Trojans’ victory over the Tigers would depend on certain factors; for example, a lot is going to rely on USC’s defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who needs to whip up a master plan that would help Riley’s gang generate stops and turnovers. As highlighted, “Five points isn’t much to cover, but that hook is friendly for bettors. This smells of a three- or four-point game because both teams could consider allowing a field goal as a defensive stop.”

Analyst Andrew Jett from Pick Dawgz pointed out how the top priority for the Tigers would be to stop the run. The last two seasons’ record of 2,000 rushing yards is concerning. But Jett believes, “The good news is that the team has the size and talent to stop that trend in 2024. They’ll have a tough test right out of the gate, but I think the Tigers can power out a cover.” 

Lincoln Riley and Co. will set out for their first matchup against an SEC opponent. The last time the Trojans took part was on September 3, 2016, which ended in a 52-6 loss to Alabama at Jerry World and is often associated with the program’s best-know ill-fated entrance. Will Lady Luck swipe right on the Trojans or the Tigers? Let your opinions pour in!