*Two of college football’s traditional giants—No. 20 USC and No. 1 Alabama, the defending national champion—meet in Texas to open their 2016 seasons on Labor Day weekend in primetime on ABC.
*It’s the first meeting between the teams since 1985.
*Something has to give, as USC has won its past 17 openers and Alabama its last 14.
*Although the Crimson Tide holds a decisive edge in the series, both of USC’s victories were historic (and both came in Birmingham): the 1970 win helped integrate Southern football (one of Troy’s stars that day was African-American fullback Sam Cunningham, who will serve as the Trojans’ honorary captain this week) and the 1978 win knocked off top-ranked Alabama (although both teams ended up splitting the national title that season).