Nebraska (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) at Southern California (4-5, 2-5), Saturday, 4 p.m. EST (FOX)

BettingMGM College Football Odds: USC at 8 1/2.

Series record: USC leads 4-0-1.

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

The Cornhuskers and Trojans are two of college football’s traditional powers, but their first meeting as conference foes is about trying to make a bowl game, not competing for the national title. Nebraska has not made the postseason the past two seasons under Matt Rhule and will try to reach a bowl for the first time since 2016 and end a three-game losing streak. Rhule replaced offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield this week with former West Virginia and Houston coach Dana Holgorsen. USC isn’t faring much better in Lincoln Riley’s third season, switching quarterbacks during open week. With rivalry games against UCLA and Notre Dame on deck, it would be difficult to see the Trojans reaching the postseason if they can’t win this week.

KEY MATCHUP

USC QB Jayden Maiava vs. Nebraska defense. Replacing Miller Moss as starter, Maiava is the type of quarterback the Cornhuskers will struggle to contain. Maiava becomes the fourth of the dual-threat quarterbacks Nebraska has faced. The Cornhuskers have given up six quarterback runs of at least 10 yards, including a 57-yarder by UCLA’s Ethan Garbers in their last game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nebraska: QB Dylan Raiola. Raiola, the program’s highest-rated recruit, has had a rough introduction to the Big Ten. He was still beginning to recover this week from the hard blow to his lower back that knocked him out of the UCLA game on Nov. 2, but Rhule said Thursday that Raiola will start. Managing a quarterback who has suffered an injury and who has thrown six interceptions in the last four games is not an ideal situation for an offense transitioning to a new play-caller in Holgorsen.

USC: Maiava started 14 games as a freshman at UNLV last season, throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. The Palolo, Hawaii, native is more mobile than Moss, and the Trojans hope Maiava’s athleticism can offset a shaky offensive line.

FACTS & FIGURES

USC and Nebraska have combined for 16 national championships, including 11 by the Trojans. Each school has won back-to-back national championships: Nebraska in 1970-71 and 1994-95 and USC in 1931-32 and 2003-04. … The Trojans won the teams’ most recent meeting, 45-42 in the 2014 Holiday Bowl. … USC is the only opponent Nebraska has played more than once and not defeated. … The Trojans will wear throwback jerseys inspired by the undefeated 1972 national title team.

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