No. 18 USC heads into Bloomington on Saturday with the same simple equation that has followed the Trojans for weeks now: keep winning, or watch the College Football Playoff door start to close.
Standing in the way is No. 9 Indiana, the defending national champions, in a matchup that could matter plenty for both teams’ postseason hopes.
Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is set for 12:30 p.m. PT, with CBS carrying the game.
For USC, the road has been the problem spot in the Riley era, and that hasn’t changed. The Trojans’ issues away from the Coliseum go back before Lincoln Riley arrived, but the trend has not improved under him. Riley is 1-7 on the road against ranked teams as USC’s head coach.
That history hangs over a team that has already shown two very different versions away from home this season. On Oct.
24, USC turned in a rough outing against Wisconsin, a game in which the offense managed just seven points and 39 rushing yards outside of sack yardage. Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions on the first three possessions, and outside of the Trojans’ first-half defense, it was a messy night across the board.
Then came Oct. 10 at Penn State, where Southern Cal looked far sharper in a win that could be argued as its best road performance since joining the Big Ten three years ago. Before that, the Trojans had also labored in a narrow victory over winless Rutgers on Sept.
- Which version shows up in Bloomington will tell the story.
USC did get a huge response when it needed one most. The Trojans entered their Oct. 31 game against then-No.
2 Ohio State with everything hanging in the balance, including Riley’s future in Los Angeles, and pulled off the upset to keep their CFP hopes alive. Since the Wisconsin loss, it has felt like a one-game season for USC.
Win out, and the Trojans are likely in. They still control their destiny, but the margin for error is gone.
Indiana is in a similar bind. The Hoosiers slipped five spots in the latest playoff rankings even though they didn’t play last week, and with no big-time wins on the resume, another loss would be a major setback.
The challenge for USC is obvious: Indiana’s defense has been stingy all season, allowing more than 20 points only once, against Northwestern on Sept. 25. The Hoosiers’ best work starts up front, which makes the battle in the trenches a central piece of Saturday’s game on both sides of the ball.
Maiava should have more help around him this time. He felt the difference when his trio of star freshmen - receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, along with tight end Mark Bowman - were all on the field together for the first time since late September.
USC also made a change on the offensive line against Ohio State, plugging freshman Kannon Smith in at left guard. That night brought the Trojans their best showing from running back Waymond Jordan, who paired well with King Miller.
Indiana, meanwhile, is trying to get its offense moving again. The Hoosiers have not scored more than 20 points in regulation in over a month, and they’ll have to do it without leading rusher Turbo Richard and guard Joe Brunner, who was injured in practice on Tuesday.
At quarterback, Josh Hoover is off the injury report after leaving at halftime against Minnesota on Oct. 31, but Curt Cignetti did not say during the week whether Hoover or Grant Wilson would start.
The Hoosiers do still have two dangerous targets in Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, and that duo presents a different kind of test for a USC secondary that has seen plenty, but not a pair quite like this in week 11.
In Other News...
Indiana Faces A Huge Availability Question Against USC
USC is heading into its Big Ten matchup with Indiana in unusually good shape, at least by conference standards this season. The Trojans did not add any new significant injuries, and a few important names are still worth watching on the report, including safety Trestin Castro and defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, while tight end Mark Bowman has made it back to full participation.
Indianas side of the availability picture is a little more complicated. Starting quarterback Josh Hoover is no longer on the injury report, which is a welcome sign for the Hoosiers, but they will still be without starters Joe Brunner and Turbo Richard because of injuries, leaving the lineup a little thinner in a game where depth could matter. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces A Massive Playoff Test Against Surging USC
Indianas Week 11 matchup with USC brings plenty more than a marquee name to Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are set to host the Trojans in a game that carries real College Football Playoff weight, with both programs trying to strengthen their position in a crowded national race. It is the kind of late-season meeting that can reshape how a season is viewed, especially when a ranked opponent comes in with history on its side.
USC has won all four previous meetings, which only adds to the challenge for Indiana as it looks to protect its home field and keep its postseason path in focus. The game also comes with the usual Saturday details that matter to fans planning around it, including kickoff time, television coverage and the weather forecast in Bloomington, but the bigger storyline is simple enough: a surging Trojans team arrives with momentum, and Indiana gets a chance to answer on a stage with major consequences. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Big Ten Path Suddenly Runs Through A Dangerous USC Test
Indianas overtime escape against Minnesota did more than pad the win column. It left the Hoosiers alone as the Big Tens only one-loss team after Ohio States recent defeat, which means the road to the conference title game now runs through Bloomington. After reaching eight wins and getting a bye week to reset, Indiana suddenly finds itself in a position it has not occupied often in this league race, with its margin for error looking much different than it did just a week ago.
The next step is a USC matchup that now carries far more weight than it did on the calendar a month ago. Indiana has earned the right to control its own fate, but that also means every remaining test matters, and the Trojans bring enough talent and danger to make this one feel like a real measuring stick. With the bye offering a brief pause, the focus shifts quickly from surviving Minnesota to handling a game that could shape the rest of the Hoosiers Big Ten story. [Read more 🡒]