A look at this weekend's top matchups in the Pac-12.
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 23 Stanford (1-0) at USC (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. PT Saturday
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV: ESPN
KEYS FOR STANFORD
Can Costello go?: Stanford junior quarterback K.J. Costello was 16-for-20 for 152 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 17-7 win over Northwestern before he suffered a head injury late in the first half that knocked him out of the game. Costello, who threw for 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, is questionable to return for the conference opener against the Trojans. His replacement was junior Davis Mills, who went 7-for-14 for 81 yards while leading one scoring drive in the second half.
Reshuffle the line: Whoever gets the start at quarterback for the Cardinal will have a new left tackle with freshman Walter Rouse replacing injured Walker Little, a junior who earned all-Pac-12 honors last season. The Cardinal will look for better results from the running game after averaging 3.4 yards while totaling 132 on the ground against Northwestern. Senior Cameron Scarlett led the way with 97 yards on 22 carries.
KEYS FOR USC
Prepare the quarterback: USC’s opening 31-23 win over Fresno State was costly when sophomore quarterback JT Daniels suffered a season-ending knee injury. Daniels threw for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns as a true freshman last year and was poised for a breakout season before the injury. He will be replaced by true freshman Kedon Slovis, who went 6-for-8 for 57 yards in his debut against the Bulldogs.
Receivers are ready: While USC has a true freshman at quarterback for the second year in a row, Slovis has plenty of experienced receivers to target. Tyler Vaughns had 11 catches for 150 yards last week while senior Michael Pittman Jr. has 76 catches for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns in his career. Stephen Carr and Amon-Ra St. Brown combined for 11 catches last week.
PREDICTION
If KJ Costello can go, his experience should lead the Cardinal past USC, but if not, the Trojans should have enough to hold on at home.
BEST OF THE REST
California (1-0) at No. 14 Washington (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Husky Stadium, Seattle.
TV: FS1
Notes: Another early conference matchup sends the Bears to UW. Third-year Cal coach Justin Wilcox, a former defensive coordinator at Washington, got the signature win of his tenure with a 12-10 win over the Huskies last season. UW is now the highest-ranked Pac-12 team after a 47-14 win over Eastern Washington when transfer quarterback Jacob Eason went 27-of-36 for 349 yards and four scores.
No. 25 Nebraska (1-0) at Colorado (1-0)
When: 12:30 p.m.
Where: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo.
TV: FOX
Notes: The two rivals from their days in the Big 12 face off for the second year in a row. CU won 33-28 last year in what appeared to be a breakthrough win for coach Mike MacIntyre, but a 5-0 start was followed by seven straight losses that cost him his job. Mel Tucker, who beat rival Colorado State 52-31 in his debut, could thrill his new fan base by following up with a home win over the Cornhuskers. Hometown hero Scott Frost has returned lofty expectations to his alma mater in his second season as coach that began with a lackluster 35-21 win over South Alabama.
Nevada (1-0) at No. 16 Oregon (0-1)
When: 4:30 p.m.
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore.
TV: Pac-12 Network
Notes: The Ducks hoped opening up with a win over Auburn could put them into the College Football Playoff picture and cement themselves as the Pac-12 favorite, but Oregon blew a 15-point lead in the second half of a 27-21 loss. The Ducks should breeze by Nevada and Montana next week before opening conference play against Stanford. The Wolfpack seek a second straight win over a Power 5 opponent after rallying for a 34-31 win over Purdue.