USC didn’t have to line up against Indiana over the last two seasons, and that probably saved the Trojans from an ugly result. Based on how the two programs have gone in opposite directions, they almost certainly would have been 0-2.
That gap starts with the men in charge. Lincoln Riley is still trying to steady things at USC, while Curt Cignetti has surged to the top of the sport at Indiana. In just two seasons with the Hoosiers, Cignetti has become the standard-bearer among current college football coaches, outpacing even names like Kirby Smart and Dabo Swinney over the past two years.
His rise has been fast and unmistakable. Nittany Lions Wire noted that Cignetti “wasted no time reshaping the way people think about Indiana football.”
The piece also pointed out that in two seasons, he has led Indiana to the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons and won a national title last season. He arrived promising wins, and the results have backed that up.
Cignetti’s success has already changed his standing in Bloomington. He was mentioned as a top candidate for Penn State after last year’s in-season coaching change, and that talk may have helped lead to a lucrative reworked contract to keep him at Indiana. He’s also set to appear on the cover of EA Sports College Football 27.
The question now is what comes next. As Nittany Lions Wire put it, “What will Cignetti have up his sleeve for an encore this season?”
For Riley, Cignetti represents the kind of coach he was supposed to become. Beating him this season will be a tough ask, but USC at least needs to be competitive against Indiana if Riley wants to regain some respect.
In Other News...
USC Freshman Jaimeon Winfield Faces Pressure Few Trojans Recruits Ever Do
Jaimeon Winfield arrives at USC with the kind of profile that usually comes with a long runway, but the Trojans are asking more from him than patience. The five-star defensive tackle from Texas is expected to add depth to a front that has been rebuilt through both recruiting and the portal, and he steps into a room that already includes returning pieces and newcomers such as Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren and freshman Jahkeem Stewart, a group that has given USC a better sense of what its interior line can become.
For Winfield, the pressure is not just about fitting in as a freshman. USC has spent heavily in recent recruiting cycles to upgrade its defensive front, and the next step is finding out whether those investments can turn into a line that changes games, not just a deeper rotation. Winfield is part of that push, and so is the expectation that he can help the Trojans get closer to a dominant interior presence sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Got A Crucial Update On A Crown Jewel Commit
Honor Faalave-Johnson continues to look like one of the headliners in USCs 2027 class, and the latest update only reinforces how important his pledge is for the Trojans. The Southern California program has held onto a prospect who sits near the top of multiple national recruiting boards, with his blend of speed and athleticism keeping him in the conversation as a true crown jewel commit.
The challenge, of course, is that elite recruits rarely stay quiet for long, and Faalave-Johnson has drawn attention from programs like Oregon and Texas. Even with that outside pressure, USC has reason to feel encouraged by where things stand, especially with the added visibility that comes from his new partnership with Destination Kia, a nod to the explosiveness that has made him such a coveted name in the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have Hidden Help For Jayden Maiava After Makai Lemon
Jayden Maiava is heading into 2026 with a receiver group that looks very different from the one USC has leaned on in recent seasons. The Trojans are bringing in transfers and highly ranked newcomers such as Terrell Anderson, Boobie Feaster, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley, while the tight end room should also get a boost with five-star Mark Bowman arriving. For a quarterback trying to settle into a new cast, that kind of turnover can be a challenge, but it also opens the door for players who have been waiting for a bigger role.
Zacharyus Williams is one of the names worth watching after moving from outside receiver to slot, where he is competing with Mosley for a chance to help fill the void left by Makai Lemon. Nela Tupou also made a late climb up the depth chart and finished last season as USC's most-used tight end in the Alamo Bowl, while Corey Simms has been building momentum after mostly working on special teams. If USC is going to make Maiava's life easier next fall, the answer may not come only from the headline additions. [Read more 🡒]