Rise and shine Tailgaters; it’s Gameday! Welcome back to Hoosier Huddle’s newest weekly column: Tidbits for the Tailgate. Each week I’ll break down what you need to know before you head to the lots at Memorial Stadium: from players to watch, to what’s happening in other games, to tips for a successful tailgate.

What You Missed Last Week

Ducks Buck the Bucks

It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for Oregon. The Ducks got off to a disaster start this season after getting upset by Oklahoma State and then losing star QB Dante Moore. Since then they have clawed their way back into the Top 25 and just got a massive road victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes. After OSU went up 14-0 in the third quarter, the Ducks buckled down and scored 38 straight points to hammer the Buckeyes 41-28 on their home field. 

Holy War Hysteria

Speaking of signature wins, first-year head coach Morgan Scalley and the Utah Utes got their first signature win last Saturday. The “Holy War” rivalry game against BYU lived up to its name as the Utes and the Cougars traded blow after blow. Trailing by 8 with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, Utah picked off BYU QB Bear Bachmeier’s pass in the endzone to seal the game.

Victory for MSU

Fight! Fight! Rah Team, Fight! Victory for MSU! The Spartans got a huge rivalry win last Saturday as they beat Michigan 15-6 to secure the Paul Bunyan trophy for the first time since 2021. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that Sparty won this game without scoring a touchdown. For the Wolverines, their nightmare season somehow gets worse after this loss. Offensive Coordinator Jason Beck was fired after being shut out the majority of the game; it remains to be seen if head coach Kyle Whittingham will soon follow him.

CJ Carr for Heisman?

While it was a tough night at the office for the Michigan Wolverines and QB Tommy Carr, his older brother CJ Carr had another career night. In a rematch of the “Catholics vs. Convicts” game against #1 Miami, the Michigan native had 319 yards and 3 touchdowns. At this point, the Heisman is his to lose.

Hoosiers’ Matchup

USC Trojans

Campus: Los Angeles, California

Mascot: Trojans / Tommy Trojan

Record This Season: 7-2

2025 Record: 9-4 (Lost TCU in Alamo Bowl)

Series Record: Indiana is 0-4 against USC

Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (5th Season at USC, 42-20 Record)

Conference: Big Ten

What to Watch For

Production Under Center

It’s unclear who will get the start under center for the Hoosiers on Saturday. Josh Hoover’s health has been a question mark for the past couple of weeks, finally reaching a breaking point two weeks ago when backup Grant Wilson got the nod for the second half against Minnesota. The bye week has allowed Hoover to rest and Wilson to get valuable first-team reps. Whoever gets the start under center, the Hoosiers will need them to get the Indiana offense in rhythm early.

Shuffling the Line

A late scratch for this Saturday was offensive lineman Joe Brunner, who suffered an injury in practice. This is a huge blow both for the Hoosiers and Brunner, who had been playing great at the guard position this season. However, it could be a blessing in disguise, as it allows Austin Leibfried to get some reps and the Hoosiers to build some depth on the offensive line.

Jet Lag?

The entire nation was rocked on Friday when the FAA ordered a complete ground stop of all flights in the United States. This has placed several key college football games in limbo as teams got stranded around the country. USC was able to make it to Bloomington with no trouble, but they still are on a cross-country trip; look to see if jet lag plays a role early in the game on Saturday.

Tailgate Tip of the Week

Wear Layers

It’s going to be just 47 degrees at kickoff on Saturday, with temperatures steadily dropping throughout the game. A savvy fan puts on a couple layers to stay comfortable during the game. Bonus points if one of the layers are candy stripe overalls.

Show Up Early and Be Loud

This is a big game for Indiana to show the CFP committee what they are made of. Along those same lines, Hoosier Nation needs to show USC what it is made of. Hoosier Nation did a great job creating a hostile environment for Ohio State a couple weeks ago; now they need to do it again on Saturday.