Barry Alvarez is Wisconsin soccer royalty, having guided the Badgers to three Rose Bowl victories and more wins than any other coach in program historical past.
But the retiree did his beloved faculty no favors this week heading into its showdown with No. 16 USC.
On “The Barry Alvarez Show,” the 79-year-old said the Trojans were “not used to a full stadium with a loud house where they have to deal with the noise.”
Former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said USC had not skilled anything like the deluge of noise the Trojans will face on Saturday against the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. The Barry Alvarez Show
Uh, coach?
Did you not discover where USC performed its last sport? All these followers dressed in white? The deafening din?
Just two weeks in the past, the Trojans silenced most of the 114,419 in attendance for Penn State’s White Out at Beaver Stadium, pulling away for a 31-23 victory.
“It feels like a movie,” USC quarterback Jayden Maiava said of taking part in in that type of setting.
Alvarez must have missed that given his feedback.
“We have the advantage in this situation – huge advantage,” Alvarez said as the Trojans ready to face the Badgers inside 76,030-seat Camp Randall Stadium. “ … We’re putting Southern Cal in a position they don’t normally get into, so let’s really make it tough on them.”
Penn State Nittany Lion followers cheer as Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) prepares to snap the ball during the second quarter of a school soccer sport at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As if the gist of his message wasn’t incendiary enough, Alvarez added more bulletin-board materials by referring to USC as Southern Cal – a nickname the faculty hates.
Will these phrases come back to hang-out Wisconsin?
Here are 5 issues to watch when the Trojans (6-1 general, 3-1 Big Ten) face the Badgers (4-2, 2-1) at 4:30 p.m. PDT on NBC:
About that noise …
Not only has USC performed before sellout crowds in two of its last three video games, the Trojans also follow while being bombarded by a sound system that some gamers have likened to a jet buzzing the subject.
The sound system is half of the new $225-million Bloom Performance Center that has enhanced virtually every facet of the Trojans’ program.
Massive audio system connected to gentle poles at each finish of the subject changed an previous system in which the team used transportable audio system.
USC linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson (14) celebrates with followers following a win over Penn State during an NCAA school soccer sport, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in State College, Pa. AP Photo/Barry Reeger
“Those are loud,” coach Lincoln Riley said of the previous audio system, “but they’re only loud type of from one supply. … The entire hope was when we re-did the services that we’d be in a position to have some sort of more surround-sound sort system that would assist.
“This has been awesome because it’s more life-like. We can control different zones of where it hits, so if like one part of the field doesn’t need noise [it doesn’t get it] and then it’s not all coming from one source, so it spreads it out so much better.”
Strength vs. energy
The end result could be determined by which team has the most success in what it does finest.
A USC go offense that’s averaging 310.1 yards per sport – rating No. 7 in the nation – will face a Wisconsin go protection that’s permitting only 171.2 yards – No. 19.
Then again, Riley has been saying he’s looking for more from a run sport that’s been only common, producing 152.3 yards per sport. This would be a nice week for King Miller and Waymond Jordan to stage a breakthrough.
Travel tweaks
After departing on Thursdays for cross-country journeys to Rutgers and Penn State, the Trojans left on Friday to play the Badgers.
The want to go only midway across the nation prompted the change.
“This game, it’s not right next door but it’s not completely on the other side of the country,” Riley said. “We had deliberate on this sport that unless we ended up with a actually early kickoff that we were going to journey on Friday.
“We’re kind of into the same routine now even had we left on Thursday, just the flight’s on a different day. So the guys are pretty dialed into the road routine and other than flying [Friday], everything’s going to be like it was for Rutgers and Penn State.”
Having began 2-0 in Big Ten highway video games gives Riley a likelihood to beat his finest single-season highway convention file since the Trojans switched conferences before the 2024 season. USC went 1-4 in Big Ten highway video games in 2024 and 2-2 in 2025.
USC Fully rested?
USC is coming off its first prolonged break of the season after getting its first bye week.
Players luxuriated in scorching and chilly tubs, snoozed in nap pods and benefited from additional classes of red-light remedy meant to speed up restoration.
“Rested, slept, just continued to recover and get the mind and the body right before this upcoming week,” Maiava said.
Injury report
USC is hopeful that the bye week could assist it get shut to full energy.
While defensive sort out Jahkeem Stewart and linebacker Jadyn Walker are listed as possible, tight finish Mark Bowman, huge receiver Luc Weaver and defensive sort out Jide Abasiri are listed as questionable.
Wisconsin working back Darrion Dupree, who ran for 20 yards in 6 carries against UCLA last week, is listed as possible.
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