This Post Contains the Contest Rules, list of Reigning Champions and a preliminary look at Week 1 Odds.
The 6th annual football contest is starting next week for the games that are scheduled for August 28th – August 29th.
Please let me know if you are interested in participating in the contest. You can leave a comment here or send an email to: john@trojandailyblog.com
Please note that the last day to join the contest will be September 12, 2025 at 2 pm PT. For each week that you do not make a bet or you are late joining the contest 1,000 units will be subtracted from your account.
Contest Rules
Please remember, this is supposed to be about fun and Trojan camaraderie.
There are no entry fees.
Every participant will receive 20,000 betting units.
You must bet a minimum of 1 game and 1,000 units each week. If you forget or choose not to make a wager during any week during the season, 1,000 units will be deducted from your account. If you miss 3 weeks of betting, you will be removed from the game.
There will be a limited number of games for you to choose from each week.
The contest ends after the last game played on December 7, 2025.
I will post the point spread for each week’s games on each Monday.
All wagers must be received by Friday at noon PT, if there is a Thursday game then the wager must be received by Thursday noon PT. (Exact date will posted weekly)
Wagers must be posted on the TDB (preferred) or they can be emailed to: john@trojandailyblog.com.
I will review each wager to make sure that it was correctly placed. I will then respond to your entries to let you know that they have been accepted by liking your wager comment.
If you do not see your wager acknowledgement please contact me as soon as possible by posting a comment on the blog prior to the first game you have wagered on.
If a game is cancelled or moved to another date, then that game will not be counted as a wager (no action).
Winning wagers will be paid as ‘even money’, for example; if you bet 1,000 units, you will win 1,000 units.
The winner will be determined by who has the most betting units in their account at the end of the contest.
I will keep track of everyone’s account and this accounting will be posted on TDB on Monday of each week of the contest. Please review my figures. If you think that a mistake has been made you must contact me by 9pm on the Monday that the results were posted, otherwise these numbers will be considered official.
First Prize is: 150.00
Second Prize is: 75.00
Third Prize is: 25.00
If two people end up in first place, then the first and second prize will be added together and that amount will be split between the two winners.
I will handle all disputes and my decision will be final.
Anyone can be removed from the contest for exhibiting poor sportsmanship, as determined by me.
By making wagers on the games you acknowledge you agree to these rules.
Reigning Champions from 2024
1st Place – BUS83
2nd Place – Scoochnew
3rd Place – Mrs Steveg
PRELIMINARY ODDS FOR CHOSEN WEEK 1 GAMES.
THESE ARE NOT THE FINAL ODDS. THE FINAL ODDS WILL BE POSTED ON AUGUST 25TH.Â
August 30th
Missouri St +35.5 at USC -35.5 on BTN at 430pm PT
Missouri St/USC game total – over/under 59.5
Texas +2.5 at Ohio State -2.5 on Fox at 9am PT
Texas/Ohio St Game Total – over/under 48.5
Alabama -13.5 at Florida St +13.5 on ABC at 1230pm PT
LSU +3.5 at Clemson -3.5 on ABC at 430pm PT
Cal +3.5 at Oregon St -3.5 on ESPN at 730 PT
Utah -6.5 at UCLA +6.5 on Fox at 8pm PT
August 31st
Notre Dame -3.5 at Miami (Fl) +3.5 on ABC at 430pm PT
It may be a Cardinal (andGold) sin to bet against the Trojans, but I don’t think USC or Lincoln Riley will put up 35 points against an opponent. I’ll wait until I see actual betting numbers before I make up my mind.
We shall see.
LOL……Riley has taken care of that 35 point test…..USC is the only team to have never played a non FBS member……a fact we carry with pride.
This year we open up with Missouri St…..last year they were non FBS. Their first game in FBS is against us. They are rated as near last in conference USA, 11th out of 12…….just about the same as playing a junior college team. We ought to put up 35 in the first half. If we don’t…..geez. Don’t mean to influence any bets……🙂
USC should win this game by 40. Seriously. This is a Game 1 cupcake if there ever was one.
It’s looking like USC can still use some time to figure out what looks like an O-line that remains influx and somewhat challenged (at least for now).
Allen, Glad you mentioned it. I thought I was in the woods alone. The OL (as last year) is still a serious concern for me. I see a serious downgrade at left guard, slightly down at center and…… an unknown situation at right tackle. Left tackle might still have a few issues with the pass. Right guard…..maybe…..maybe not. Steele calls it a good OL?? Maybe I’am being a bit too critical. In addition….with Wingfield out…..one or two turned ankles and oh brother. Freshman or walk ons potentially starting. Too many questions going into a schedule (without the two big boys,… Read more »
I wish USC had been able to hire Chad Bowden about a month earlier. I believe he would have pressed harder for USC to give Emmanuel Pregnon an offer that would have kept him in L.A. Bowden is all about retaining players and Pregnon’s split to ORE was massively disappointing. I also think USC should have scoured the earth for another O-liner once Wingfield was turned down by the NCAA in March. USC acted much too cavalier about this negative development and shouldn’t have ever banked on a reversal in his favor. Now it’s up to Zach Hanson (previously the… Read more »
Well stated……and we’re getting the better beef now……so the future is bright. Just got to keep the faith.
Until that “bright future” finally arrives at USC, the term most thrown around now when addressing the Trojan O-Line is “position flex.”
For now at least, Trojan O-Liners need to be able to play as many different spots along the LOS as possible — because we still don’t know where many of them fit best.
It’s looking more and more like USC might use many different OL combinations because of a failure (so far at least) to find a starting five yet.
This seems to be kind of a Lincoln Riley tradition at USC.
True, SC hasn’t played an FBS school.
But Missouri State was an FBS school the last time they played. And even playing against other FBS teams, they stunk.
Cupcakes may be necessary, but I really wish USC wasn’t stooping so low to play crappy roadkill MO ST. That’s a big ding to USC’s 2025 slate. Yuk. But the good news about scheduling is this. The tougher you schedule now, the better off you are, even if you lose to a good team! The CFP committee has made these immediate changes. Bravo! Enhanced Strength of Schedule Metric: The existing metric will now give bigger weight to games played against strong opponents. Record Strength: A new metric will be used to assess teams, specifically rewarding victories against high-quality opponents while minimizing the penalty… Read more »
Agreed
One of the reasons this kind of scheduling works for the SEC is that 90,000 will show up no matter who is on the menu. Missouri State is never an attractive event in L.A.
Good point. SC Gator. The game might be in insanely hot weather too.
I went to the 2017 opening game vs W MICH won by USC 49-31. We won comfortably, but still looked bad. Our soaked-shirt group left at half, passing people along the way who looked like heat stroke victims lying on cots in whatever shade that could be found.
Yes, that was a hot one.
Yes, SC looked bad.
But it was not a comfortable win at all. It was tied with under 8 minutes to go, and a 4-point game with under 5 to go.
A schvitzer in more ways than one.
Blind Jake Olsen also snapped his first and only real game extra point, making USC football history while I was back in front of the TV, thankfully out of the sun!
The argument against playing ND just mostly went out the window.
Thanks again John. I’m in and looking forward to it!
Thanks John, I’m in. Gotta put my TDB$ where my mouth is.
John I’m in and I am getting the evil eye from the wife so it looks like Mrs. Steveg is in also.
Yea! Another year, thanks. I am in again.
I’am in….and thank you for all the work and cash you provide for the contest.