Greg McElroy reveals pick for USC at Nebraska

Greg McElroy is backing USC to take down Nebraska this weekend. On the latest episode of his Always College Football show, the ESPN analyst made it clear he’s confident in the Trojans’ chances in Lincoln, despite their two losses this season coming on the road.

“I’m going to take USC in this game,” McElroy revealed. “I understand that the road struggles are well-documented, but I think they’re the better team. They’re coming off the bye week with a week to get healthy.

“I think their pass rush will be very impactful in this game. I think they’ll be a lot more sound defensively. They won’t give up the freebies that they gave up against some of the teams they faced earlier in the season.”

At 5-2, USC had a much-needed week off after falling to Notre Dame. The bye provided a reset and a chance for Lincoln Riley’s team to get healthy and regroup ahead of the final stretch of Big Ten play.

The Trojans have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but inconsistency on both sides of the ball has kept them from stringing together dominant performances. Evidently, McElroy believes the timing of the bye week, combined with USC’s overall talent advantage, sets them up well for a bounce-back performance.

Meanwhile, Nebraska enters the matchup 6-2 following a narrow win over Northwestern. Under Matt Rhule, the Cornhuskers seem close to breaking through their glass ceiling. Memorial Stadium in Lincoln remains one of the toughest cathedrals in the country, and Nebraska will look to test USC, a team that has had moments of vulnerability, especially on the road, as mentioned.

Alas, the Trojans have history on their side, however. USC has never lost to Nebraska, holding a 5-1-0 record in the series. Last year’s game was their first as Big Ten opponents, with the Trojans winning by eight in Los Angeles. Now, they’ll aim to stay undefeated against the Cornhuskers while proving they can win in a hostile environment.

McElroy’s confidence lies in USC’s ability to clean up mistakes and lean on their talent to get the job done. If the Trojans’ plays with discipline and their offense finds rhythm early, McElroy believes they’ll leave Lincoln with another statement victory and be ready to take on the final stretch of their conference schedule.