Week 1 already gave the Big Ten a little bit of everything, and USC’s fast start belongs right in the middle of that chaos.
The Trojans are 2-0 after Friday’s 39-0 win over Fresno State, and the early returns under Lincoln Riley in his fifth year have been impossible to ignore. USC delivered two safeties for the first time since 2019, posted its first shutout since 2011, and watched Gary Patterson’s defense keep getting stronger. Through two games, that unit has allowed only three points.
That kind of start has pushed the Trojans into the conversation as a possible College Football Playoff team, which would be a first for the program. With the schedule still looming as a major test, USC’s opening stretch at least suggests the pieces are there.
Elsewhere in the league, the first week brought plenty of movement and a few eye-openers. Rutgers sits at 0-1 after a rough opening, while Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern and Maryland all picked up wins.
Wisconsin remains at 0-0. Michigan is 1-0 after a controversial Hail Mary win over Western Michigan, and Nebraska also opened with a victory.
UCLA’s Bob Chesney era got off to a strong start in Berkeley, where the Bruins erased the game with a 21-point fourth quarter. Nico Iamaleava had a quiet debut, throwing for 184 yards with an interception, but the ground game carried the load. Anthony Woods ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns, and James Madison transfer Wayne Knight scored three times in the win.
Illinois also opened on the right foot, though not without some issues. Bret Bielema has already led the Illini through their best two-year stretch in program history, and with Anaheim native and East Carolina transfer Katin Houser at quarterback, they beat UAB. Still, the defense gave up 413 total offensive yards, something Illinois will need to clean up before Duke comes to town next week.
Minnesota made a statement in a 59-7 win over Eastern Illinois. The rushing attack piled up 147 yards and five touchdowns, while the defense added nine tackles for loss. Junior quarterback Drake Lindsey threw for 246 yards and a touchdown, and the Golden Gophers now turn to their first true test against Mississippi State in Minneapolis.
Iowa’s opener raised a familiar question: who is the game one starter? Hank Brown got the first shot and passed for 129 yards, but the Hawkeyes rotated three quarterbacks without much payoff.
The run game, though, kept everything moving with 289 rushing yards. Receiver Tony Diaz is a name to watch as Iowa sorts out its offense.
Penn State also made an early impression. In Matt Campbell’s first game in Happy Valley, the No.
18 Nittany Lions held Marshall to just 147 offensive yards and got a four-touchdown performance from Rocco Becht. That showing hints at what the Penn State offense could look like in 2026, and the schedule should help early.
On the West Coast, No. 2 Oregon had to sweat before pulling away from Boise State.
When the Broncos grabbed a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, the echoes of their 2008 upset at Autzen had to be impossible to miss. Oregon regrouped, though, and Dante Moore turned in a career day with 378 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Ducks weren’t clean, and Boise State hung around longer than they wanted, but they still found a way to win.
Indiana, the defending champ, kept its own momentum rolling with a 52-16 win over North Texas. Josh Hoover threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns, and even a bloody nose couldn’t slow him down.
The Hoosiers did give up 367 yards, but they also forced an interception and recorded seven tackles for loss. The front half of their schedule lines up favorably.
And then there was Ohio State, which did exactly what Ohio State does in an opener. The No.
1 Buckeyes rolled, with Julian Sayin completing all but four passes and throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns. Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson each chipped in a rushing touchdown as the pair combined for 83 yards on the ground.
Jeremiah Smith was again a headliner, finishing with 151 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Next up: a prime-time showdown with No.
5 Texas in Austin.
In Other News...
USC Freshmen Are Already Forcing Their Way Into Bigger Roles
USCs Week 1 showing offered an early look at how quickly this freshman class is trying to make itself part of the rotation. Quarterback Jonas Williams, running back Deshonne Redeaux, receiver Trent Mosley and several others all flashed in ways that went beyond the usual opening-game hype, giving the staff a real sample of how they handle live snaps and the speed of college football.
The larger question now is how much of that first impression turns into a bigger role as the season settles in. For a Trojans team that wants depth to matter in a long year, the encouraging part is not just that these freshmen played, but that a few of them already looked like they belonged in bigger moments. The next step is proving that Week 1 was the start of something more than a one-game boost. [Read more 🡒]
USC Is In The Mix For A Five-Star Receiver Battle
Braylon Clarks recruitment is already shaping up as one of the early national battles in the 2028 cycle, and USC has a real seat at the table. The five-star receiver from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina, trimmed his list to 12 schools, with the Trojans standing out as the only California program still in the mix. Ranked highly by Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports, Clark has the kind of profile that can shift how a future receiver room looks in a hurry.
USC is hardly alone in chasing him, though, and that is what makes this one worth watching. Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana are all among the programs still involved, turning the pursuit into a cross-country fight for one of the classs marquee pass catchers. For the Trojans, landing Clark would not just be another recruiting win, it would be a clear statement about how far their national reach still extends. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Young Playmakers Are Emerging Fast Around Jayden Maiava
USCs second game of the 2026 season offered another look at how quickly Jayden Maiava is growing into the center of the offense, but it also showed how much help he is getting from a young supporting cast. The Trojans had useful performances across the roster, with Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Jadyn Ramos all making their presence felt on offense, while Jide Abasiri, Kennedy Urlacher and Alex Graham added meaningful snaps and production on the other side of the ball.
For a team trying to establish an identity early, the encouraging part is how many first- and second-year contributors are already shaping games in different ways. Not every young Trojan had the same kind of impact, with Boobie Feaster and Tanook Hines quieter than some of their classmates, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: USC is getting faster development around Maiava, and that kind of balance can matter long before the schedule gets serious. [Read more 🡒]