USC, Penn State Utilize Bye Weeks to Recover and Rebuild Offense

USC is using its second and final regular-season bye to prepare for a road trip to Nebraska while trying to get key offensive linemen Elijah Paige and Kilian O’Connor healthy and back in the lineup after being sidelined by injuries; coach Lincoln Riley said both are “making real progress” and are more realistic returns now. In their absence the Trojans shuffled the line (Tobias Raymond to left tackle, J’Onre Reed at center, Micah Banuelos at guard), a look that produced mixed results—strong run output in one game but a one-dimensional, under‑duress outing vs. Notre Dame that yielded just 68 rushing yards. Analysts and reporters at Tuesday’s bye-week practices noted Riley’s comments about the defense’s physicality, observations on linebacker Jadyn Walker and QB Jayden Maiava, and that practices this week were in shells with limited scout-team activity as the staff tweaks game plans. Fans were urged to spend the off week scouting Nebraska and watching other key college football matchups, while rival programs like Penn State also used the bye for defensive work under interim coach Terry Smith, with media access limited to photo coverage. Overall, the bye is serving as a short window for recovery, offensive-line repair and game‑planning before USC returns to action in Lincoln.