LSU and USC may seem far apart in distance and culture, but these teams share striking similarities. That much will become clear when they meet Sunday night in Las Vegas during the first week of college football.

Both schools are introducing new coordinators to fix defensive units that were among the worst in college football a year ago: Blake Baker takes over for LSU from Missouri, while D’Anton Lynn hopes to revitalize USC’s unit after coaching UCLA’s defense to a 10th-ranked national ranking last season.

Also at the quarterback position: Each of these schools will introduce new quarterbacks with little experience but a lot of potential. They are both successors of Heisman Trophy winners who have gone pro and successors of the pros.

Garrett Nussmeier replaces Jayden Daniels and Miller Moss with No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams. Both have had great results in bowl game wins for their teams and hope that success will translate to the QB1 role they will take over permanently.

What can we expect from the matchup? Here’s what to watch for when LSU and USC meet in Las Vegas, with our updated game prediction.

How to watch

When: Sun, Sept 1
Time: 6:30pm CT, 4:30pm PT
TV: ABC Network

USC vs. LSU Game Odds

Lines courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

LSU: -4.5 (-105)
USC: +4.5 (-115)

LSU Wins: -182
USC wins: +150

More than 65.5 points (-110)
Below 65.5 points (-110)

FPI Picks: LSU 54.7% | USC 45.3%

What should you pay attention to?

1. Frontline battle. LSU returns four starters from an offensive line that will once again be strong, protecting Nussmeier and opening up lanes for a promising group of backs against a Trojans front seven that has lacked depth and skill, been out of place and missed far too many tackles the past two seasons. Early momentum here could demoralize USC’s first line of defense.

2. Targeting LSU’s back seven. USC should protect Moss well enough to let him build confidence with a battery of short and intermediate throws to some very capable receivers, but with Harold Perkins roaming the middle of the field for LSU, the Trojans will want to test the Tigers’ secondary early and often. That unit ranked 121st nationally in production last season, and this is a good chance to get some yards out of it while it’s still unproven.

3. Red zone and third down. A big part of these defenses’ problems a year ago was their performance from scoring position. USC ranked 115th in allowing teams to score 91 percent of the time, while LSU was 125th in that category, allowing teams to score on 92.3 percent of drives inside the 20.

USC ranked 107th in the nation in defending on third down, allowing opponents to move the chains 43 percent of the time, while LSU allowed opponents to convert 46 percent of the time, ranking 120th in the nation.

LSU vs. USC Prediction

Good, skilled players and promising quarterbacks should more or less balance out the offensive potential of both teams, especially since both defenses will occasionally allow passing yards deep in the field.

LSU’s offensive line should be the difference-maker. Those four returning starters provide a secure pocket that gives Nussmeier more time and space to develop his timing with a cast of capable receivers, while the Tigers build some momentum by running the ball behind that protection.

College Football HQ chooses…

The odds of winning are updated periodically and may change.

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