The Saturday Big Ten games wraps up on Saturday night in Los Angeles featuring a pair of 4-1 clubs hooking up between Michigan vs. USC.
The Michigan Wolverines head west for their first visit to the L.A. Coliseum as conference foes with the USC Trojans.
Let’s take a dive into our Michigan vs. USC prediction for this showdown in the Big Ten, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC this Saturday, plus some player picks to target on PrizePicks, including Michigan QB Bryce Underwood.
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Michigan vs. USC Prediction, CFB Picks
The Trojans are back following the bye week as they try to rebound from their first loss. USC fell to Illinois in the final seconds, 34-32 on September 27, dropping the Trojans to 2-1 in league play.
Michigan cruised past Wisconsin at home last Saturday, 24-10 for its third straight victory since losing at Oklahoma in Week 2. The Wolverines knocked off the Trojans in Ann Arbor last September, 27-24 in spite of throwing for 32 yards.
Michigan Wolverines Preview
- Michigan’s rushing numbers are slightly ahead of the passing numbers through five games. The run game ranks 25th in EPA/rush, compared to 51st for the air attack in EPA/pass.
- RB Justice Haynes sits fifth in the country in rushing yards with 654. USC’s defense is near the bottom of the nation in rush success at 45.6%.
- Haynes has already topped his rushing total from last season at Alabama, where he finished with 448 yards in 12 games.
USC Trojans Preview
- The Trojans rank first in the country in net EPA/play and offense success rate (56.9%).
- QB Jayden Maiava has put together four games of multiple TD passes, including 5 TDs in the last two games against Michigan State and Illinois.
- USC has faced four defenses that rank 108th or below in adjusted EPA/play. Michigan will be a huge test, as they sit 17th in the country in that category.
Michigan vs. USC Picks for PrizePicks Today
This Big Ten matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET offers intriguing PrizePicks plays to win real money based on usage, efficiency, and matchup data. Here are the top player targets in today's Michigan vs. USC game, as Michigan looks to stay in the Big Ten Championship conversation.
Michigan QB Bryce Underwood vs. USC Projection: 185.5 Passing Yards
- The freshman has gone through ups and downs in his first season in Ann Arbor. He has thrown 3 TDs in five games and has finished with less than 142 yards passing in each of his two road starts.
- On the road against Oklahoma and Nebraska, Underwood failed to post a TD pass and couldn’t complete more than 55% of his pass attempts.
- USC’s defense has yielded at least 200 passing yards in each of the past three games. Illinois and Purdue each topped the 300-yard passing mark against the Trojans.
- Underwood has faced a trio of top-50 defenses from the adjusted EPA/pass standpoint. The Trojans are 37th nationally in this category, something the Detroit native should be used to seeing at this point.
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USC RB Waymond Jordan vs. Michigan Projection: 72.5 Rushing Yards
- Another freshman in the spotlight on Saturday has already racked up a pair of 100-yard rushing performances against Georgia Southern and Michigan State.
- Jordan has bypassed this projection in all three conference games, and is coming off a season-high in carries with 20 in the loss to Illinois.
- Michigan owns one of the top rushing defenses in the country, ranking 12th in EPA/rush. The three previous conference opponents for USC rank 46th or below in this category.
- At home, Jordan is averaging 9.4 yards per carry, compared to 4.5 yards per attempt on the road.
USC WR Makai Lemon vs. Michigan Projection: 82.5 Receiving Yards
- Lemon has hauled in the second-most receiving yards in the country with 589. Last season, he finished with 764 yards in 11 games.
- In the loss to Illinois, Lemon squeezed out 151 receiving yards on a season-high 11 catches.
- Michigan has yielded at least 97 yards to a wide receiver on three occasions this season.
- In five of the past six games at the Coliseum, Lemon has eclipsed 90 receiving yards.
- USC’s offense ranks third in the nation in yards per dropback, facing a Michigan defense that sits 17th in that category. The Wolverines have taken on four opponents that are 50th or worse in yards per dropback.
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Both Michigan and USC are seeking a 5-1 start on the season with a victory on Saturday. Can the Trojans not only get revenge for last year’s loss in Ann Arbor, but also bounce back from the defeat at Illinois?
Ahead of the Michigan vs. USC kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET, it's time to lock in your CFB picks on PrizePicks to win real money. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions when you're right.
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