USC enters fall camp with the same big-picture question hanging over the program: can the Trojans finally get back to the top of a conference race they haven’t won since 2017?
That last title came in the Pac-12, when Sam Darnold led USC past Stanford 31-28. Nine years later, the Trojans are heading into their third season in the Big Ten still chasing both a conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth. Lincoln Riley’s team has the kind of expectations that come with a 9-3 finish and a 7-2 mark in Big Ten play in the 2025 season, but now the real test is turning that promise into a trophy.
The betting market gives USC a real shot, but not a clear path. FanDuel Sportsbook has the Trojans tied with Michigan for the fourth-best odds to win the Big Ten at +1400. Ahead of them are Ohio State at +190, Oregon at +270 and Indiana at +270.
And the schedule tells you exactly where the pressure points are.
USC’s path to Indianapolis and the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium runs through three major matchups: home games against Oregon and Ohio State, plus a road trip to Indiana. Those are the games that will likely decide whether the Trojans are playing for the league title in December. Winning two of those three would put them in position to get there.
The Ducks visit the Coliseum on Sept. 26, giving USC a chance to answer last season’s 42-27 loss to Oregon. It will also be the first time the Trojans face Ohio State and Indiana as Big Ten opponents, which adds another layer to a schedule already loaded with leverage games.
Another date that stands out is Oct. 10 at Penn State. That matchup could land as the Nittany Lions’ annual whiteout game at Beaver Stadium, and it comes with plenty of intrigue. USC will see former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn for the first time, while former TCU coach Gary Patterson steps in as Lynn’s replacement on the Trojans’ staff.
Penn State sits at +2500 to win the Big Ten in its first season under new coach Matt Campbell, just behind USC and Michigan in the odds race.
For the Trojans, fall camp is the starting line. The conference title chase will be shaped by the biggest games on the schedule, and USC knows exactly which ones will matter most.
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 🡒]