USC’s playoff path got a little clearer in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, even if the margin for error is still razor thin.
The Trojans climbed two spots to No. 18 heading into Week 11, helped in part by a weekend that saw Missouri, LSU and Ohio State all take a third loss. Southern Cal is coming off a bye, but the real test arrives now: a trip to No. 9 Indiana, with the Trojans’ postseason hopes hanging in the balance.
With two losses already on the board, Riley’s team is in one-game-season territory. Win, and the conversation stays alive. Lose, and the road gets a lot steeper.
Indiana, meanwhile, took a hit of its own. The Hoosiers dropped five spots despite also being idle last week.
USC has seen this movie before. A year ago, the Trojans were sitting at No. 16 in the CFP rankings before falling to No.
5 Oregon late last November, a loss that shut the door on their playoff hopes in Eugene. Now the question is whether they can flip the script and keep their own run alive in 2026.
It won’t come easy. The defending national champions are a different team than they were a year ago, and Memorial Stadium has not been a frequent stop for them - just one game there in coach Curt Cignetti’s three seasons.
Even at No. 18, USC still controls its own fate.
The catch is simple: the Trojans have to win out. That signature win over then-No.
2 Ohio State still matters, but the rest of the path is brutal enough to keep the pressure cranked all the way up, with Indiana and No. 4 UCLA still on the schedule.
At the top of the rankings, Georgia is back in the No. 1 spot after a 42-7 rout of No. 19 Ole Miss.
Notre Dame also made a major move, jumping six spots to No. 1 after beating No. 7 Miami.
The Irish close with Boston College, SMU and Syracuse, putting them in position to chase a first-round bye.
No. 15 Iowa is another team worth watching.
The Hawkeyes, who have never made the playoff, are 7-2 and still have Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska ahead of them. That gives them a real chance to finish strong and make a push.
The committee’s logic, though, remains hard to follow. Oregon moved up seven spots from No. 23 to No. 16, landing two spots ahead of USC despite having three losses to the Trojans’ two. The Ducks do own the head-to-head win, and they handled USC decisively at the Coliseum, but the inconsistency doesn’t stop there.
Oklahoma State beat Oregon and both teams are 6-3, yet the Cowboys are stuck at No. 25.
Ohio State, sitting at No. 20 with a 6-3 record, beat No. 15 Iowa.
And No. 8 Tennessee owns the same record as No.
3 Alabama, plus a blowout win over its rival.
Elsewhere, UCLA moved up four spots as Bob Chesney’s first-year team keeps rolling without a loss. Utah is also unbeaten after knocking off in-state rival BYU, which fell one spot to No. 1 after the weekend.
LSU took the biggest tumble among the notable names, sliding seven spots to No. 21 after its third loss, this one to Alabama. The Tigers are not dead yet, though. If a three-loss SEC team is going to sneak into the playoff, this might be the year.
For Lane Kiffin and LSU, the rest of the season will tell the story. The Tigers still have No.
7 Texas and No. 8 Tennessee left, and those games will decide whether this season keeps drifting or turns back in the right direction.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Landed A Guard Hoosier Fans Will Want To Watch
Indiana added another notable name to its future backcourt with the signing of four-star guard Chase Branham from the class of 2027, a move that gives Hoosier fans an early reason to keep an eye on La Lumiere School. At 6-foot-4, Branham brings size for the position, and his arrival only adds to the sense that Indiana is trying to build its next wave with players who can fit the programs long-term plans.
Branham also arrives with some historical context attached, since he is now the 10th-highest ranked recruit Indiana has landed in the 247Sports era. In the schools official release, coach Darian DeVries highlighted both Branhams ability and his character, which is usually the kind of combination a staff hopes will translate well once the real work begins and the recruiting buzz gives way to what he can actually do in Bloomington. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Sent Indiana A Message Before Bloomington Showdown
Lincoln Riley had plenty of praise for Indiana as USC turns its attention toward a trip to Bloomington, and the message was clear enough: this is not a matchup the Trojans can treat casually. Asked about the Hoosiers, Riley pointed to an experienced defense and the kind of coaching continuity that can make a team harder to prepare for, while also showing respect for Curt Cignettis program.
For Indiana, the compliments matter because they come with a reminder of what usually decides games at this level: which team can bring the same standard from one week to the next. Riley said consistency is the challenge, and that is exactly the sort of test the Hoosiers want in a high-profile home game, where a strong defensive identity and steady coaching should give them a chance to make USC earn everything. [Read more 🡒]
Tobi Osunsanmi May Decide Whether Indiana Can Survive USCs Attack
USC brings one of the Big Tens most dangerous passing attacks into this matchup, and Indianas best answer may come from the front line. The Trojans have leaned on quarterback Jayden Maiava to drive the offense, while the Hoosiers have built their defensive identity around getting pressure and disrupting timing before a play can fully develop.
Tobi Osunsanmi is at the center of that challenge. Indiana has to find a way to make USC uncomfortable early and often, because if Maiava settles in, the Trojans can turn a game fast through the air. The Hoosiers have shown they can defend at a high level, but this one may hinge on whether Osunsanmi and the pass rush can force USC out of rhythm before the secondary has to hold up for long stretches. [Read more 🡒]