USC vs. Nebraska – The much awaited game

For the first time since 1970, two of the nation's traditional football powers, are meeting. This is the much awaited game between USC and Nebraska. Both schools have won 16 national championships, appeared in 87 bowl games and produced 10 Heisman Trophy winners. The game will be shown live over at ABC-TV, with ESPN's College GameDay pre-game show setting up at the Coliseum.

This is a home opener for USC, which is riding a Pac-10 record 27-game winning streak in the Coliseum. Remarkably, the 92,000-seat stadium is sold out for an unprecedented fifth consecutive contest and it's Troy's eighth consecutive sellout, home and away.

The Trojans have won 46 of their last 48 games and it will be a matchup between teams guided by former NFL head coaches, USC's Pete Carroll (former Jets, Patriots head coach) and Nebraska's Bill Callahan (former Raiders coach).

Pete Carroll's striking 84.8% winning percentage is the best of any active coach with at least 5 years experience. The Trojans have had an AP Top 4 finish, a BCS bowl appearance and a Pac-10 championship in each of the previous 4 seasons. Also, Troy has scored at least 20 points in its last 53 games, a national record.

USC has an impressive 36-point win at hostile Arkansas, while Nebraska has a pair of home wins under its belt, including last week against Division I-AA Nicholls State. The Trojans have been inspired by the early play of new starting QB John David Booty, who throws to the likes of 2005 Biletnikoff Award finalist and All-American first team Wide Receiver Dwayne Jarrett and fellow Wide Receiver Steve Smith, who is in the USC career receptions Top 10.

Other hand, 2005 All-American OT Sam Baker and Rimington Award candidate C Ryan Kalil will be blocking for Troy. While USC's defense, which is already a national-best +5.0 in turnover margin, is linebacker-heavy with the likes of Keith Rivers, Dallas Sartz, Oscar Lua, Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing and also is getting good play out of DLs Lawrence Jackson and Sedrick Ellis.

Nebraska is riding a 5-game winning streak, which features a balanced offense behind QuarterBack Zac Taylor and IB Marlon Lucky and a defense led by pre-season All-American Defensive End Adam Carriker that returned many of the starters from a unit that led the nation in sacks and tackles for a loss in 2005. The Cornhuskers, like USC, are averaging more than 50 points and 450 yards of total offense.