Indiana’s November 14 meeting with USC at Memorial Stadium brings one of the Big Ten’s most talent-heavy teams to Bloomington, and the Trojans arrive with plenty to sort out on both sides of the ball.
USC finished 9-4 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play in 2025, then fell 30-27 to TCU in the Alamo Bowl. Bill Connelly’s returning-production numbers show a roster that still has a lot of meat on the bone: 64 percent back overall, which ranks No. 16 nationally and seventh in the Big Ten. The offense returns 64 percent as well, good for No. 26 in the country.
The biggest reason USC can still be dangerous is the man calling the shots. Lincoln Riley remains the playcaller, and the offense has been one of the few constants in Los Angeles. The Trojans finished No. 13 nationally in 2025 at 35.8 points per game, and Riley has kept them above 30 points per game every season at USC, with two seasons above 40.
That attack leaned heavily on the pass a year ago. USC averaged 296 passing yards per game, which ranked No. 5 nationally, while the run game sat at No. 55 with 169.5 rushing yards per contest.
Jordan Maiava is the engine. He’s being talked about as a legitimate Heisman contender after throwing for 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2025 while completing 65.8% of his passes.
He also added six rushing touchdowns and brings real threat value as a runner.
The challenge for Maiava is replacing major production at receiver. Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane are gone to the draft, and that pair accounted for nearly 2,000 receiving yards of output last season.
USC got an early look at one answer in week 0 against San Jose State, when freshman Trent Mosley caught seven passes for 118 yards in his debut. The receiver room is still very young, with freshmen Tron Baker, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Boobie Feaster, plus sophomore Corey Simms, and none of them has much of a college résumé yet.
In the backfield, King Miller is the lead runner after a freshman season that produced 972 yards. He opened this year with 15 carries for 63 yards and also caught 16 passes a season ago. Senior Waymond Jordan is next in line after running for 576 yards last year, and freshman Shahn Alston is expected to be part of the mix too.
USC is also breaking in a young tight end group after losing veteran Lake McRee and Walker Lyons. Five-star freshman Mark Bowman is expected to have an immediate role. Like IU, USC uses its tight ends as blockers, and like IU, the position group is young and inexperienced.
If the Trojans make another offensive leap, it probably starts up front. USC brings back four starters on the offensive line: tackles Elijah Paige and Justin Tauanuu, guard Alani Noa and center Tobias Raymond.
Hayden Treter is the only new starter, though he did make his first career start in the Alamo Bowl. Experience helps, but the unit still has work to do after PFF ranked USC No. 98 in pass blocking and No. 108 in run blocking last season.
On defense, Riley turned to a familiar name in the offseason by hiring Gary Patterson as coordinator. Patterson spent 22 years as TCU’s head coach and most recently served in consulting roles at Texas and Baylor.
He hasn’t been a defensive coordinator since the 1990s, but his track record is loaded. His 2010 TCU defense led the nation in points allowed during an undefeated season, and that capped a six-year stretch in which the Horned Frogs ranked inside the top 15 in points allowed per game.
His 2014 defense finished No. 8 in points allowed and nearly pushed TCU into the first College Football Playoff.
Patterson runs a base 4-2-5, a system he’s long been associated with as one of the sport’s innovators. USC returns six starters on defense and has added help through the portal. The Trojans ranked No. 58 against the run and No. 47 against the pass in 2025.
Desman Stephens II is the anchor in the middle, and Washington transfer Deven Bryant should be another important piece after making 63 tackles a year ago. USC also needs a bigger year from sophomore Jadyn Walker.
On the edge, Kameryn Crawford and Braylan Shelby give the Trojans a pass-rushing tandem that combined for 10 sacks last season. Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart is again dealing with a foot injury after playing much of last year with a stress fracture, while Floyd Boucard and Jide Abasiri are key returners up front and Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren is in the mix too.
The secondary got portal help as well. Iowa State transfer Jontez Williams should strengthen the cornerback room alongside sophomore Marcelles Williams, who started 11 games last year.
At safety, seniors Christian Pierce and Prophet Brown lead the way with Kennedy Urlacher, the son of Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher, also in the mix. Depth could still be a concern, though freshman safety Alex Graham could make an immediate impact.
Special teams was a weak spot a year ago, when USC ranked just No. 124 in the country at PFF. Mike Ekeler, who was on IU’s staff in 2011-12, was brought in from Nebraska to handle that unit.
The Trojans do return kicker Ryon Sayeri and added Memphis transfer Lachlan Carrigan, who averaged 43.2 yards per punt. Lemon handled most of the return work last season, so USC has to replace him there too.
Mosley offered a glimpse of what that might look like in week 0, averaging 28.0 yards on two punt returns.
For Riley, this is year five and the stakes are obvious. USC has never reached the College Football Playoff, and the roster looks good enough to change that.
By the time the Trojans get to Bloomington, they’ll have already faced Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State in the stretch leading into Indiana. The Hoosiers, meanwhile, will be coming off a bye after a tough run of their own.
USC has enough talent to make the game interesting, but the source of this preview sees the Trojans as a team likely to fall short in November in Bloomington.
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