Week Zero College Football Previews for Teams in the West

San Jose State Spartans at USC Trojans

Saturday, August 29
12:00 PM PT, NBC
(Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge & Kathryn Tappen)

Line: USC –38.5
Over/Under: 60.5

A year ago, coming off a 7-6 season with a ton of momentum to end 2024 and a high-flying offense ready to dominate, San Jose State entered the season with extremely high expectations.

But 2025 did not deliver on the promise, as the Spartans limped to a 3-9 record and just a pair of conference wins.

This season, expectations are tempered a bit so the Spartans could be ready to shock some people this fall.

By contrast, big things are expected in L.A. from USC in 2026. The Trojans return a surplus of talent on offense, with their top two backs and entire offensive line returning.

The pass-catchers lost a lot from last season, but they return perhaps the nation’s top quarterback in Jayden Maiava, and the WR unit is hardly thin.

While the SC offense returns a lot, San Jose State is returning just 24% of its offensive production, the second-lowest total in the nation.

For the Trojans to truly prove they belong among the short list of contenders for the Big Ten and national title this season, they need to show the defense is up to the task.

It should look the part against SJSU.

While the Spartan offense will have its struggles, I think they might do enough to push the total over the 60.5 offering. And USC should have no issue scoring points.

Since falling to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl after the 2022 season, USC has beaten Group of Six opponents by an average of 45.4 points. This one should be no different.

Luke Weaver should be a capable passer for San Jose State, and I think the offense will once again spread the ball around the field this season. But the QB still has a lot to prove; he has directed more career turnovers (7) than TD passes (6) at the D1 level.

But while the turnovers were an issue at Hawaii, he completed 60% of his passes and threw for a lot of yardage.

The USC defense could be tested at times by the Spartan air attack, though the Trojan pass rushers also could end up feasting. If that happens, it will be a long afternoon for Weaver.

The bottom line is USC looks like a potential Playoff team while San Jose State will likely struggle to win many games this season.

The opener should serve as a prelude to both possibilities this season.

Winner: USC
O/U: Over 

Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Stanford Cardinal

Saturday, August 29
4:00 PM PT, ACC Network
(Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, and Kendra Douglas)

Line: Stanford –4
Over/Under: 48.5

Last season, these teams met in the season opener in Honolulu, and the Warriors got the better of the visiting Cardinal. This season’s Week Zero matchup sees the teams meet once again, but inside Stanford Stadium.

Despite being the Group of Six team and playing on the road, Hawaii seems more settled than Stanford.

A huge reason is quarterback Micah Alejado, who has a handle on Timmy Chang’s offense and can sling it with any of the best in the nation.

Since the end of last September, Alejado has averaged 315 passing yards per game, the second-most among FBS passers.

On the other side of the field, the Tavita Pritchard era opens with former Michigan signal-caller Davis Warren making his Stanford debut under center.

After earning the starting spot for the Wolverines in 2024, he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.

But the strength of the Stanford offense could be the legs of Micah Ford, whose 643 yards on the ground in 2025 were the most for a Cardinal in a season since 2019.

The Rainbow Warriors were solid against the run last season, limiting opponents to just 133.9 rushing yards per outing to rank 44th in the nation. If the Warriors can bottle up Ford and the ground game, they will have a leg up.

Matt Rose is a tackle machine for Stanford in the middle. The linebacker tallied 106 total stops last year, the most in a season for a Stanford player since 2015.

While Rose will make plays from sideline to sideline, stopping UH’s offensive attack will require a much stronger team effort than we saw last season on the Farm.

In 2025, Stanford ranked dead last nationally against the pass, giving up 288.9 yards through the air per game.

If the Cardinal can’t contain the Warriors, the result could mirror last season’s opener, in which Hawaii kicked a field goal to win a 23-20 thriller.

I think this one will be similarly tight, and once again, I see the Warriors as the better team, opening their campaign 1-0 with an upset on the road.

Winner: Hawai’i
O/U: Under

Memphis Tigers at UNLV Rebels

Saturday, August 29
7:00 PM PT, FOX
(Tim Brando, Devin Gardner and Josh Sims)

Line: UNLV –4.5
Over/Under: 56.5

Either Dan Mullen was offering up some gamesmanship and not letting the media (or anyone) know too much on Tuesday when discussing the QB battle, or there really is not much separating Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji at the moment.

That might be a good thing, but I would feel a lot more comfortable with the Rebels if I knew Jackson Arnold was clearly the better option under center.

Deception and disguise or not, UNLV will kick it off with Memphis this Saturday Night.

And this is the game Week Zero is meant for. If this were a week later, the matchup might be just another game in a busy week.

The spotlight will be on Allegiant Stadium. It will shine not only on the Tigers and Rebels, but also on the Mountain West and American conferences with a national audience in primetime.

Both schools have dipped into the portal and, in many cases, scooping up castoffs from Power Four programs.

The entire Memphis starting 11 on defense could be transfers, and the Tiger offense will also lean heavily on new portal arrivals.

Among them, RB Dallas Hayden, formerly of Ohio State, is expected to spearhead what should be an explosive ground attack.

Last season, the Tigers ranked 31st in rushing nationally, with an average of 184.7 yards per game. Look for a heavy dose of Hayden, who could prove to be one of the better backs in the American in 2026.

The Rebels struggled against the run last season, allowing 177.4 yards per game to rank 105th in the nation. The defense let the Rebels down on a few occasions in 2025, but I look for an improved unit in 2026.

UNLV found themselves simply outscoring opponents at times last year, and I think they will be very comfortable in a shootout on their home turf. The Rebels have a good one toting the ball themselves in Jai’Den Thomas.

While I think the Rebels defense will look better this season, I don’t think they will have to be great. Just make some third-down stops, get the Tigers off the field, and the offense will produce.

The game figures to be a shootout, and a fun one for the country to watch.

Winner: UNLV
O/U: Over

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