Lincoln Riley enters the 2026 season with USC carrying real playoff expectations, and the Trojans have plenty working in their favor. They bring back key players on both sides of the ball, add a new defensive coordinator, and welcome the No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class to Los Angeles.
In a Big Ten that figures to be unforgiving, the setup is there. The question is whether USC finally turns that promise into a breakthrough and reaches the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
That path includes a handful of games the Trojans cannot treat lightly. Even with a non-conference slate that is expected to be manageable, the schedule turns quickly once Big Ten play begins, and USC opens conference action on the road for the third straight season. This time, the Trojans head to Piscataway to face Rutgers.
Rutgers finished 5-7 last season and lost all seven of its conference games, but the Scarlet Knights still have a weapon that can stress USC early. Wide receiver KJ Duff is coming off a season in which he was the third-leading receiver in the Big Ten, piling up 60 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns. For USC’s secondary, that is the first major test of the year, and the way the Trojans handle it could help shape the tone of their season.
Another game that demands attention comes against Washington, a team USC will see for the first time since the 2024 season. The last meeting went the Huskies’ way, with USC falling 26-21 in Seattle, so there will be some revenge on the Trojans’ side when the matchup shifts to the Coliseum. But Washington, now led by coach Jedd Fisch, is not a soft landing spot.
The biggest reason is quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who is back after throwing for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. He gives Washington a real chance to test USC’s secondary, and the timing makes the game even trickier. It comes one week after USC’s early-season showdown with Oregon at the Coliseum, which means the Huskies could catch the Trojans in either a revenge spot or a trap spot depending on how much emotion gets spent the week before.
USC also has a trip to Madison that could get uncomfortable fast. Wisconsin stayed with Luke Fickell after a 4-8 season in 2025, a year in which the Badgers’ two Big Ten wins came at Camp Randall Stadium against Illinois and Washington, both top-25 teams. That record does not reflect the standard Wisconsin fans are used to, but Camp Randall still carries the kind of edge that can rattle visiting teams.
Then comes the Crosstown Rivalry, and this year’s edition has the feel of something that could turn quickly. UCLA enters its first season under Bob Chesney with starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava back, and the Bruins have the look of a team that could be more dangerous than people expect in the Big Ten. Last season at the Coliseum, UCLA pushed USC by leading at halftime before the Trojans pulled away for a 29-10 win and kept the Victory Bell for a second straight year.
Now the setting shifts to the Rose Bowl, and with better coaching in place, the Bruins have a chance to make things interesting in a hurry. For USC, it is another game that cannot be brushed aside.
In Other News...
ESPN Just Gave Rutgers Fans Another Reason To Feel Overlooked
ESPNs latest College Football Power Index did not do Rutgers any favors, slotting the Scarlet Knights at 67th nationally with a -0.2 rating and making them one of the lowest-rated teams in the Big Ten. The metric leans on past performance, returning starters, recruiting and coaching continuity, and now even transfer portal movement, so it is built to reflect both what a team has been and what it might become.
For Rutgers, that makes the number feel especially static at a time when the roster has changed in important ways. The defense struggled badly a year ago, but the staff has been reworked and transfers have been added, while the offense kept key pieces in place and still has a quarterback battle to sort through. In other words, the FPI is looking backward just as Rutgers is trying to prove it can look different this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Kaden Powers Could Be Holding The Key To Rutgers' Backcourt Ceiling
Kaden Powers spent his freshman season giving Rutgers a useful glimpse of what he could become, averaging 6.1 points and 1.8 rebounds while making 15 starts before his role shifted later in the year. Now, after an offseason focused on getting stronger, the guard has drawn notice in practice for looking more confident and carrying himself with a veteran-like presence, the kind of development that matters for a team trying to raise its backcourt floor.
Powers growth is especially important because Rutgers needs dependable guard play to support its ceiling in Big Ten play, and coach Steve Pikiell has seen enough in summer workouts to believe the sophomore is ready for a bigger responsibility. Whether he opens the season in the starting five or becomes one of the first options off the bench, Powers appears positioned to be a central part of how Rutgers sorts out its backcourt minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Field Hockey Has Two Standouts On An International Stage
Rutgers field hockey has a pair of standouts getting valuable summer reps on an international stage, with Emily Nicholls and Anna Cogdell both suiting up for their U-21 national teams at a tournament running July 8-15 at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre in England. Nicholls is representing the USA, while Cogdell is playing for England, giving the Scarlet Knights two players with a chance to test themselves against top young talent from outside the college game.
The event brings together Belgium and India as well, with scheduled matches involving all four nations and a different kind of pressure than either player sees during the fall. Both Nicholls and Cogdell had already earned previous U-21 selections this year, and Rutgers will be watching closely as two of its key names continue building experience in a setting that can only sharpen what they bring back to campus. [Read more 🡒]