As the countdown to the college football season opener ticks away, anticipation and excitement reach a fever pitch among fans and enthusiasts. USC, a surging powerhouse in the realm of college football, is set to face off against San Jose State football in their first game of the season in a Week 0 matchup. Here are four bold predictions that could shape the outcome of this intriguing match-up.

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4. Caleb Williams will begin his path back to the New York Heisman ceremony

The Heisman Trophy is the pinnacle of individual achievement in college football, and Caleb Williams stands poised to etch his name in history by winning the trophy for the second time in as many years. If achieved, Williams would be only the second person to do it outside of former Ohio State Buckeye running back Archie Griffin.

Returning as the reigning Heisman winner, Williams looks again to be a force to be reckoned with this season, surrounded by a dynamic supporting cast, including a plethora of gifted receivers and a formidable running back corps. This won't be the standout game for Williams' campaign in 2023, as it may play out much like USC's first game last season against Rice, where Williams went 19-of-22 for 249 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Expect something similar in this game in the form of 260 yards and three touchdowns.

3. USC will cover the spread

The USC Trojans football squad is favored by 30.5 points over the San Jose State Spartans, according to FanDuel. I think this is an easy one, and one where the Trojans will be looking to come out strong, given that they'll be in the spotlight in the unique Week 0 slate of games. I can easily see the Trojans putting 40-50 points on this Spartans team, and that's with Williams being taken out by halftime.

2. There will be over 66.5 points scored

No doubt about it, 66.5 points is a lot of points, but USC football put up a lot of points last season. In fact, they averaged 41.4 points per game. Not only that, their defense gave up an average of 29.2 points per game. As high-powered as the USC football offense is, the defense is still a bit suspect. So, yes, the offense is more than likely going to score at will, but the defense will have to try to contain San Jose State's quarterback, Chevan Cordeiro. Cordeiro could at least make this game interesting for a while, maybe midway into the second quarter at least. This leads us to the next bold prediction.

1. Chevan Cordeiro will throw at least two touchdowns and one interception

Chevan Cordeiro will be entering his 2023 season as a sixth-year senior. He enjoyed his best season last year with 3,250 yards passing and 23 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He was also named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and is one of the better Group of Five quarterbacks in the country.

With it being the first game of the season, there's likely to be some rust on both teams. But as experienced as Cordeiro is, perhaps he can take advantage of a USC defense that had plenty of issues getting off the field last season. Expect Cordeiro to at least put two scores on the Trojans and then throw a pick later on. But that will be about as productive as he'll get for his first game of the season.