USC Eyes Breakthrough Season Under Lincoln Riley as CFP Hopes Rise
It’s year five for Lincoln Riley at USC, and while the Trojans haven’t cracked the College Football Playoff just yet, there’s a different energy around the program heading into 2026. The roster is reloading with high-impact transfers and top-tier recruits, and with quarterback Jayden Maiava returning for his senior season, USC is starting to look like a team ready to finally take that next step.
CBS Sports has already taken notice, slotting the Trojans at No. 11 in early rankings. That’s not just a nod to talent - it’s a belief that this could be the year Riley’s vision comes together.
The offense, as always under Riley, is expected to hum. But the real X-factor?
The defense, now under the guidance of veteran coach Gary Patterson. If he can bring stability and toughness to a unit that’s struggled in recent years, USC could be a legitimate CFP contender - even in a loaded Big Ten.
And make no mistake, the schedule is no cakewalk. The Trojans will face five of the other six Big Ten teams currently ranked in the early top 25.
That includes a marquee rematch with Oregon on September 26, a game that could carry massive implications for both programs. For Oregon, it’s a chance to stay in the playoff hunt.
For USC, it’s a tone-setter - a chance to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the new-look Big Ten.
That Oregon game also marks the Big Ten opener for Dan Lanning’s revamped staff, which promoted from within to fill both coordinator spots. It’s a pivotal moment for both sidelines, with Riley facing what feels like a contract-year type of pressure and Lanning looking to make an early statement in conference play.
But Oregon is just one piece of a gauntlet. The Trojans will also travel to Penn State, face Ohio State in October, and take on Indiana in mid-November. Each of those matchups could shape the playoff picture - and USC’s place in it.
Before diving into conference play, USC will open the season with a pair of nonconference matchups: Fresno State and Louisiana. There’s also the possibility of a Week 0 game, but as of now, the Trojans kick off on September 5. Big Ten play begins September 19 with a trip to Rutgers.
Riley, for his part, sounds like a coach who’s embracing the challenge.
“I think you’re always out for something to prove and have to have that edge and that competitive just juice about you and about a program,” he told On3. “And so, I’m excited about, you know, we were able last year to win games a lot of different ways, different styles of the game.
We were in, obviously, all kinds of different weather, you know, kind of weather situations throughout the year. We just, we, we overcame a lot.”
There’s no doubt USC has talent. There’s no doubt Riley can coach offense with the best of them. But if this team wants to finally punch its ticket to the CFP, it’ll come down to consistency, toughness, and how quickly this new-look defense can gel.
The pieces are there. Now it’s about putting them together - and proving it on the field.