No. 23 USC at Nebraska tests CFP hopes and bowl positioning

No. 23 Southern California visits Nebraska on Saturday night in a game with College Football Playoff and bowl implications for both programs. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the game will be broadcast on NBC with streaming available through Peacock and several subscription services.

Both teams enter the matchup with one conference loss and hope to protect a slim path to an at-large CFP berth by avoiding additional losses. Oddsmakers list USC as roughly a 6 to 7 point favorite. A win would strengthen either team's postseason positioning, while a loss would likely end realistic playoff hopes and shape bowl assignments later in December.

USC comes in with one of the FBS' top passing attacks, averaging more than 320 yards through the air per game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has been a central figure, producing big-yardage games this season and throwing multiple touchdowns in recent outings. The Trojans are seeking to rebound after a 34-24 loss to Notre Dame; that defeat exposed some run-defense issues that Nebraska will aim to exploit.

Nebraska's defense has been stingy against the pass, allowing roughly 127 passing yards per game,...