Curt Cignetti didn’t just make a case for the Big Ten on Thursday at the final day of Big Ten Media Days. He also, whether he meant to or not, put USC’s assignment in plain view.
The Indiana coach drew a sharp line between the kind of football he believes wins in the Big Ten and the kind that gets exposed. “We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest.
We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say we fell short.
We don't cry a river and whine and complain. Alright, and that's why we're the best.”
That message fits the conference’s old image, but the Big Ten is no longer just a Midwest league. It stretches from Los Angeles to New Jersey now, and USC is part of that footprint. If the Trojans want to matter at the top of this conference, Cignetti’s words double as a blueprint.
USC has long been associated with the kind of profile Cignetti was taking a subtle shot at: a flashy, high-visibility program built on skill talent, offense and big-stage appeal. That identity has value.
It’s one of the Trojans’ biggest strengths. But the recent Big Ten experience has made one thing clear: flash by itself doesn’t carry the day.
For USC, “earned, not given” can’t be a slogan. It has to show up in the way the Trojans line up, especially up front and in the fourth quarter, when Big Ten games turn into a grind.
The program does not need to give up its Hollywood edge. It needs to add something sturdier beneath it.
The Trojans can still recruit quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs who fit that West Coast profile. They can still play with the kind of style that comes with the USC brand. But when November football turns muddy, they have to be willing to live there, too.
The schedule USC faces in 2026 makes that challenge impossible to ignore. By Phil Steele’s preseason strength-of-schedule rankings, the Trojans sit No. 3 nationally, behind only Texas and Michigan. ESPN’s Football Power Index has USC at No. 19 in schedule difficulty, and USC is one of only four non-SEC teams in ESPN’s top 20, alongside Ohio State, Michigan and Northwestern.
That kind of slate is a reminder that the Big Ten doesn’t offer many soft spots. In this league, the gap between the top teams and the rest is not nearly as clean as it is elsewhere, and almost anybody can get beat on a Saturday.
USC’s conference schedule reflects that reality. The Trojans will host Oregon and Ohio State and also bring Washington to Los Angeles. On the road, they’ll go to Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana, the sort of trips that test both physical toughness and travel demands.
That is where USC’s next step has to happen. The program already has what many traditional Big Ten teams can’t easily duplicate: the Southern California brand and the ability to draw elite skill talent. What it needs now is the kind of backbone that lets that talent survive the league’s roughest stretches.
That means upgrading the offensive and defensive lines. It means building depth. It means winning when the passing game isn’t humming and the game turns into a fistfight at the line of scrimmage.
Cignetti’s version of the Big Ten is built on toughness, discipline and accountability. USC’s version of itself still has the speed, explosiveness and recruiting pull that make it dangerous. Those identities do not have to clash.
Put them together, and the Trojans have a path. If Lincoln Riley can build a team with West Coast flash and Midwest-level physicality, USC won’t just belong in the Big Ten. It could eventually take control of it.
In Other News...
USCs New Defensive Identity Is Starting To Feel Very Real
Alex VanSumerens move from Michigan State to USC was one of the quieter offseason additions, but it fits neatly into the kind of defensive makeover the Trojans have been trying to sell around the program. At Big Ten Media Days, the lineman talked about what drew him west, pointing first to the coaching staff, then to USCs tradition, and then to the culture he says has taken shape under Lincoln Riley. For a team trying to convince the rest of the league that its identity is changing, those are the kinds of details that matter.
VanSumeren also described a competitive environment inside the program, one that has pushed him while still making the transition feel welcoming. He said the support from teammates has stood out, which is hardly a small thing for a transfer trying to find his footing in a new locker room. For USC, the larger takeaway is encouraging: the defensive side of the roster is not just collecting bodies, it is beginning to sound like a group that believes in where it is headed. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fall Camp Is Turning Up The Heat On Rising Playmakers
Fall camp is starting to sort out which USC newcomers can push for real roles, and a few names have already begun to separate themselves in practice and scrimmage settings. True freshmen Boobie Feaster and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt have drawn notice for promising early work, while King Miller and Luke Wafle are also among the young players creating enough buzz to keep the coaching staff leaning in. On the other side of the roster, transfer cornerback Williams has been part of the conversation too, as USC keeps evaluating who can help most once the season gets rolling.
For a team still putting pieces together before the opener, those kinds of flashes matter because they can change the depth chart quickly. The coaches have talked about the challenges of transition and what it takes to look ready in camp, and that is where the next few practices will matter most for this group of rising playmakers. The talent is clearly there, but the real question is how much of it will translate when the Trojans stop practicing against each other and start playing for keeps. [Read more 🡒]
Jide Abasiri Is Setting The Tone For USCs New-Look D-Line
Jide Abasiri has spent this offseason doing more than just adjusting to a different spot on USCs defensive front. The junior has embraced a bigger leadership role while moving to the outside of the line more often, a change that asked him to reshape his body and play style for what the Trojans need from him now. Even with the adjustment, he still carries the reputation as one of the strongest players on the roster, which makes his presence especially important for a unit that is trying to come together quickly.
USCs defensive line looks a lot different this year, with returning pieces mixing alongside transfers and freshmen to create more depth and experience than the group had before. In that kind of setting, Abasiris blend of physicality and growing responsibility matters beyond his own snaps. The real question now is how much that expanded role can translate once the Trojans start leaning on this new-look front in games. [Read more 🡒]