Big Ten College Countdown Begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 1, 2026 – The No. 18 USC Trojans (4-1) host the Washington Huskies (3-1) on Big Ten Saturday Night this Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Both teams look to get back in the win column as the former Pac-12 rivals meet in a series that dates to 1923. The Trojans lead the all-time series, 51-32-4.
USC fell to No. 15 Oregon, 41-27, at home last Saturday. Quarterback Jayden Maiava passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. Maiava leads the Big Ten with 14 touchdown passes and paces the FBS with 1,499 passing yards. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt paced the Trojans with seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, while running back King Miller led all players with 74 rushing yards.
Washington suffered its first loss of the season to Minnesota, 27-24, at home last weekend. The Huskies trailed by 14 points midway through the second quarter and pulled within three late in the fourth, but the Gophers recovered an onside kick with 1:53 remaining to halt the comeback. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw for a game-high 239 yards and two touchdowns while adding 15 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Wide receivers Dezmen Roebuck and Baron Naone each caught a touchdown pass, as Roebuck led the game with 87 receiving yards on seven receptions.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter) will call Washington-USC from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Terry McAulay will serve as rules analyst.
Big Ten College Countdown
The Big Ten College Countdown team features host Ahmed Fareed alongside analysts Chris Simms, Joshua Perry, college football insider Nicole Auerbach, and betting analyst Connor Rogers.
Big Ten College Countdown will lead into Big Ten games on NBC/Peacock. In addition, College Countdown will lead into Notre Dame Football games on NBC/Peacock.
College Football Programming on NBC Sports NOW:
Fanta in 60, a fast-paced sports and entertainment show hosted by John Fanta and sports betting analyst Jay Croucher, airing Mondays from 6-7 p.m. ET. Fanta covers a combination of sports and pop culture conversations, speaks with guests, and takes viewer voicemails. The show covers multiple sports, betting and fantasy analysis, with guests including talent from across the NBC Sports and entertainment roster, as well as current and former athletes and coaches.
Rushing the Field returns for its third season, with new episodes featuring Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry airing Thursdays at 6 p.m. ET. Auerbach and Perry break down the biggest stories and discuss the latest news and trends in college football.
Big Ten Football Highlights Factory airing Mondays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET features highlights from every Big Ten Football game of the season, including matchups featuring some of the top teams in the nation, from Ohio State and Michigan to Oregon and USC.
NBC Sports’ 2026 Big Ten and Notre Dame Football games announced to date:
Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
Sat., Oct. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Washington at USC | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Oct. 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Stanford at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Oct. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | USC at Penn State (White Out) | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Miami at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Boston College at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | SMU at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Fri. Nov. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota at Wisconsin | NBC, Peacock |
The remaining NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football games will be announced during the season, with each matchup typically announced 12 days prior to the scheduled game date.
In addition to Big Ten football, Peacock’s sports programming features live coverage of the NFL, including Sunday Night Football, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Big Ten basketball, BIG EAST basketball, Big 12 basketball, Notre Dame Football, Premier League, golf, NBA and WNBA, and much more.
To learn more about how to watch Big Ten Football on Peacock and how to sign up, click here.
--NBC SPORTS--
