The preseason US LBM College Football Coaches Poll left USC inside the top 15, but the bigger Big Ten debate came one spot farther down the board.
If there was a conference team that looked most likely to crack the preseason top 25 and still got shut out, it was Illinois. USA TODAY Sports’ Jordan Mendoza made that case directly, pointing to a program that has settled in under Bret Bielema and brings back enough pieces to make noise again.
“The Big Ten could have gotten a ninth team in with Illinois, which has found its footing under Bret Bielema. The Fighting Illini brought in Katin Houser (East Carolina) at quarterback, an underrated gunslinger.
Top rusher in Ca'Lil Valentine returns along with contributing receivers in Collin Dixon and Hudson Clement. Illinois has won at least nine games in each of the past two seasons, built on a tough home environment with a 12-2 record at Memorial Stadium.
It will again be a hard place for opponents to play in, and if Illinois can put it all together on the road, it is on the path toward possibly winning double-digit games with a schedule that isn't too brutal.”
That leaves the Big Ten with eight teams in the preseason top 25. Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana landed in the top six, while Michigan, Penn State, Washington and Iowa checked in behind USC near the back end of the poll.
The setup makes the preseason picture pretty clear: USC got in, Illinois didn’t, and now the conference has to see how much of that ranking holds up once the games actually start.
In Other News...
USC Veterans Are Already Saying The Same Thing About Luke Wafle
Luke Wafle has barely gotten to USC, but the buzz around him already sounds familiar to anyone who has spent time around a elite defensive recruit. The five-star edge rusher arrived as part of the Trojans top-ranked 2026 class, and during Media Day, several veterans kept coming back to the same points about him: his physical tools, his work habits and the way he carries himself. For a program looking to reload on defense, that kind of early praise usually means a newcomer has made a fast impression.
USC is not handing out anything based on reputation alone, though Wafle is expected to be in the mix for a starting job as the season approaches. The real test will come once the pads are on and the competition tightens, but the Trojans clearly believe he has the makeup to help right away. For a freshman entering a room full of older players, being talked about this way before the season even starts is a strong sign his path to playing time may be shorter than expected. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Receiver Buzz Is Growing As One Key Job Stays Open
The Bloom Center at USC got its formal unveiling with a ribbon-cutting for donors and invite-only guests, a sign of how much anticipation has built around the program as fall camp moves along. On the field, practice five looked pretty routine, with no major lineup shakeups, but the wide receiver room continued to stand out thanks to a group that includes several true freshmen and looks deeper than it did a year ago.
Kick return remains one of the few spots still in flux, with multiple players getting work as the staff continues to sort out that job. For a team trying to layer in young playmakers while tightening the edges of its special teams, the receiver depth has become an encouraging storyline, even if one important role is still open for business. [Read more 🡒]
USC WR Terrell Anderson Revealed The Toughest Cover Test Of His Career
Terrell Andersons first months at USC have come with the kind of adjustment every transfer wide receiver expects, but also the kind that can sharpen a player in a hurry. After arriving from North Carolina State, Anderson has talked about settling into the Trojans offense while also measuring himself against the best defensive backs he has seen in college football, a process he says has helped him grow as he gets comfortable in his new setting.
What stands out most for Anderson is how much value he puts on the daily work around him, especially the challenge of going against a USC secondary that forces receivers to stay honest on every rep. He also pointed to the tougher defensive tests ahead on the Trojans 2026 schedule, a reminder that his development now is tied not just to learning the playbook, but to preparing for the kind of coverage battles USC expects him to handle when the games start carrying real weight. [Read more 🡒]