USC’s 2026 schedule leaves little room for slip-ups, and Maryland’s visit to Los Angeles stands out as the kind of game that can wreck a season’s bigger ambitions.
Lincoln Riley has built what CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford called the most talented roster he has assembled at USC, and the Trojans should have enough offense to stay in the College Football Playoff mix. But that also means the margins are thin. One bad Saturday against an opponent USC is supposed to beat could flip the whole conversation.
Crawford pointed to Maryland as the biggest trap on the slate because of how the schedule lines up.
“The Trojans’ schedule is brutal, but both bye weeks come before key stretches -- a welcome break during an otherwise demanding season,” Crawford wrote. “That said, any CFP hopes could be crushed if the Terrapins travel to Los Angeles and pull off another upset.”
The danger is not abstract for USC. Maryland already beat the Trojans once, stunning them 29-28 in College Park in 2024. Crawford noted that history directly.
“Lincoln Riley has already suffered a pair of inexplicable Big Ten losses at USC, including a 29-28 defeat at Maryland in 2024,” Crawford wrote.
That’s what makes this one feel bigger than a standard home game. Maryland may be the underdog, but the Terrapins have proof they can rattle USC. The Trojans, on the other hand, will be expected to show they’ve cleaned up the kind of mistakes that have haunted Riley’s tenure.
A slow start, turnovers or a loose approach would be enough to let Maryland stick around and turn the Coliseum into a tense afternoon. And that’s the real problem for USC: not that Maryland looks like a playoff threat, but that the Trojans have already shown they can be dragged into exactly the sort of game they can’t afford to lose.
Elite teams don’t just score in bunches. They finish the games they’re supposed to finish. Maryland has already exposed USC once, and Riley can’t afford to let it happen again.
“If it happens again, it could become a nail-in-the-coffin moment for a coach with the most talented roster he has assembled in Los Angeles,” Crawford wrote.
USC can live with losses to top-tier opponents. Another baffling Big Ten stumble against Maryland would be a different story entirely.
In Other News...
USC Practice Just Raised Two Big Questions About This Team
USCs 12th practice of camp brought the kind of energy coaches usually love to see in August, with the Trojans working at a high intensity while continuing to build the kind of habits that matter once the season starts. Lincoln Riley said the running game and the defensive front seven drew his attention, and the defense has stood out enough in practice to make that unit one of the more interesting parts of camp. Even with Kilian OConnor sidelined by a season-ending injury, he remains around the program in a leadership and mentoring role, which has helped keep the group connected.
The other notable wrinkle has been a new effort to make practice feel less like practice, with USC testing a surround-sound crowd-noise setup on the fields to force better communication and cut down on mistakes. Special teams has its own unresolved issue as well, with Ryon Sayeri and Caden Chittenden still competing for the kicking job. The Trojans do at least have one part of that picture settled for now, even if the rest of the decision remains open. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Still Has Time To Make A Push For Trey Wright
A key quarterback target in the 2028 cycle is nearing the end of his recruitment, and USC is firmly in the mix. Three-star quarterback Trey Wright has drawn offers from Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, along with Oregon, Arizona, Kentucky and SMU, a group that underscores how widely he is being tracked as his college decision comes into focus.
Wright plans to reveal his commitment on Saturday, giving each program one last chance to make its case before the picture clears. For USC, the timing matters because Riley has taken a selective approach at the position, and Wright could end up being the Trojans quarterback addition for that class if the recruitment breaks their way. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Faces A Risky USC Kicker Decision Before Week 1
USCs special teams picture is still taking shape as fall camp winds down, with Lincoln Riley keeping the competition between Caden Chittenden and Ryon Sayeri very much alive. Both kickers have been tested hard throughout camp, and while Sayeri is set to handle kickoffs this season, the more pressure-packed field goal and PAT work remains unsettled as the Trojans head toward Week 1.
Chittenden stayed at USC and kept competing after losing the job to an injury last season, which has made this battle a little more layered than a simple open tryout. Riley has made it clear the staff wants answers before the games start counting, and for a team trying to avoid early-season special teams drama, the next few days could be a major sorting point. Outside the kicking competition, former Trojans Kamari Ramsey, Bishop Fitzgerald and Anthony Lucas also made their NFL preseason debuts, a reminder of how much USC talent is now trying to establish itself at the next level. [Read more 🡒]