USC enters the 2026 season with the same question hanging over the program: when does the breakthrough finally happen?
That’s the issue ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura pointed to as the Trojans head into what is expected to be a pivotal year under Lincoln Riley. In Riley’s fifth season, the standard is clear - USC is supposed to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
The expectation is heavy because the Trojans have the kind of setup that should put them in the championship conversation. They also bring in the No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class, which only sharpens the pressure to turn potential into results. For a fan base that has waited a long time for USC to start acting like one of the sport’s powers again, the patience is wearing thin.
The drought is real. USC has not won a conference title since 2017, back when it was still in the Pac-12. Under Riley, the Trojans have come close to the CFP twice, and last season was one of those near-misses.
USC finished 9-4 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play, but the losses told the story. All three regular-season defeats came on the road - against Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon - and each time the Trojans allowed more than 30 points. The season ended with another tough result, a 30-27 overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl.
Now the Trojans are looking for answers on both sides of the ball, and the biggest ones center on quarterback Jayden Maiava and a defense now being run by new coordinator Gary Patterson.
Maiava is coming off a strong statistical season, leading the Big Ten in passing with 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The next step is bigger than numbers, though. USC’s hopes in 2026 will rise or fall on how he performs in the team’s biggest games, especially in conference play.
Patterson’s arrival is supposed to help on the other side. USC is banking on his new play-calling to make a difference in the matchups that matter most.
And there are plenty of those. The Trojans’ biggest home games at the Coliseum include Oregon and Ohio State, while road trips to Penn State and Indiana also loom on the schedule. If USC is going to make the CFP, it likely needs to win at least half of those games and take care of everything else.
USC opens the 2026 season on Aug. 29 at the Coliseum against San Jose State. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. PT, and the game will air on NBC.
In Other News...
USC Is Right In The Middle Of A Mater Dei Battle Fans Care About
Ace Leutele has been around USC long enough that the relationship feels less like a new recruiting chase and more like an old one being reopened in earnest. The four-star Mater Dei safety has been visiting campus frequently since elementary school because of family ties, and he has continued to build connections with the Trojans through new safeties coach Paul Gonzales and recruiting director Aaron Amaama as USC works to stay squarely in the mix for one of Southern Californias most watched prospects.
Leutele is still sorting through a crowded recruitment, with several major programs pushing hard, but the Trojans have the kind of familiarity that matters in a battle like this. He plans to spend more time around college football this season, including USC games, while also taking on a two-way role at Mater Dei as both a safety and receiver. For USC, the draw is obvious: keep a local star close, deepen the bond with a family that already knows the program, and make the case that the next step can feel a lot like home. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Finally Have The Defensive Breakout Fans Have Been Waiting For
Jahkeem Stewarts first season at USC was shaped by more grit than anyone around the program would have preferred, but it also gave the Trojans a glimpse of why he is so important to what comes next. Lincoln Riley said the sophomore showed toughness by playing through a foot injury, and now the focus shifts to getting him back to full strength as USC tries to build a more reliable defense around young front-line talent.
The timing matters because USC has changed direction on that side of the ball, with Gary Patterson taking over as defensive coordinator and a fresh opportunity for the Trojans to finally turn promise into production. Stewart is expected to be one of the key pieces on the defensive line, and the hope inside the program is that his next chapter looks a lot more like a centerpiece than a player simply trying to survive the season. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Offseason Just Changed The Pressure In Baton Rouge
The offseason arms race in college football has already reshaped a lot of rosters, and LSU sits at the center of the conversation after loading up through the portal and backing it with a top-15 recruiting class. On3s Ari Wasserman put the Tigers at the top of his list of biggest winners, pointing to a transfer haul that topped 40 newcomers and a roster build that has drawn plenty of attention across the sport.
For USC, the ripple effect is part of the same national picture, even if the Trojans are approaching it from a different angle. They have their own momentum with a No. 1 2026 high school class, a returning Jayden Maiava at quarterback and nine transfer additions to supplement the roster, but LSUs spending and portal aggression only underscores how high the bar has climbed. The question now is whether all that offseason activity translates once the games start, because in a year like this, roster talent is only the first part of the story. [Read more 🡒]