USC’s statement win at Penn State didn’t move the needle in the AP Top 25, but it did keep the Trojans right where they started: No. 19.
The Trojans earned that spot after a 31-23 road victory Saturday in front of a record White Out crowd at Beaver Stadium, and the vote released Sunday left them unchanged. USC was tied with Penn State at halftime, then took control in the second half by allowing only two field goals the rest of the way.
Penn State still had life late. The Nittany Lions cut the deficit to one touchdown with 11:11 left and had a shot to tie on the next possession, but USC shut the door when freshman defensive end Luke Wafle got home for a sack after incomplete passes on first and second down. Penn State got one more opportunity with 3:59 remaining, but safety Christian Pierce forced a fumble to end the rally.
“One of my favorite wins as a head coach, no question, for so many reasons,” head coach Lincoln Riley said Saturday. “Obviously, phenomenal atmosphere, as good as it gets there in college football, so give credit to Penn State, their fans.
But really proud of our team, man. Like we didn't listen to all that you guys had to say on the outside.
This group doesn't really care. Nobody in the world gave them a chance to come in and win this game, and we did it.
We did it our way.”
USC is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play heading into its first bye week of the season. In the conference picture listed in the source, the Trojans sit behind No.
4 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, No.
12 UCLA and unranked Wisconsin.
The top of the poll changed quite a bit after Georgia moved to No. 1 following its win over No. 6 Alabama, which stayed put at No.
- Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Indiana complete the top five.
Texas slid six places to No. 7 after losing to unranked Oklahoma. BYU stayed at No.
8, Ole Miss held at No. 9 and Texas Tech climbed into the top 10 at No. 10.
The Big Ten also saw movement elsewhere. Iowa rose to No.
17, Northwestern entered the rankings at No. 25, and Oregon dropped out of the top 25 for the first time in four years after falling to UCLA. The Bruins checked in at No. 12, their highest ranking since 2022.
Oregon still picked up votes in this week’s poll, along with Wisconsin and Nebraska from the Big Ten.
In Other News...
USC Builds Real Momentum Before Its Massive Showdown With UCLA
USC kept building its late-season rhythm with another quality win, rallying from an early hole to beat No. 10 UC San Diego and stay perched near the top of the national picture. The Trojans answered the opening setback with a stretch of multiple unanswered goals, a reminder that this group is capable of flipping a match quickly when its pressure game starts to take over. Gavin Conant and Robert Lpez Duart each supplied three goals, while Charles Mills steadied things in net with 10 saves.
The timing matters, because the schedule only gets more demanding from here. USCs next test is a home date with No. 2 UCLA, a matchup that always carries extra weight and now arrives with the Trojans carrying real momentum into it. A win like this does not settle anything, but it does give USC a little more confidence, a little more balance and a little more proof that it can handle a team that starts fast and still come out on top. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads Into Penn State With One Huge Availability Problem
USCs trip to Penn State comes with more than just a tough road environment and a ranked opponent waiting on the other side. The Trojans are trying to sort through a pile of injuries that already includes season-ending surgery for receiver Terrell Anderson, while Corey Simms and Trent Mosley have also been out, leaving the passing game thinner than it would like to be this late in the season.
The uncertainty does not stop at receiver, either. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman and Mosley are listed as game-time decisions, and both the offensive line and defensive line are carrying several questionable or doubtful tags. For a team heading into one of its biggest tests of the year, the final availability report could end up shaping not just the game plan, but who USC can realistically lean on once the ball is kicked off. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Suddenly Faces A Road Test That Could Expose Everything
USCs defense has already become one of the seasons sharper talking points, and the early part of the 2026 schedule has done little to quiet the concern. In a year when several ranked teams have already taken hits and the playoff picture is still taking shape, the Trojans are being watched as closely for how they hold up on that side of the ball as for what their offense can generate.
The broader college football board has only added to the pressure, with coaching changes, injuries and quarterback shifts reshaping expectations across the rankings. UCLAs fast start under Bob Chesney has only sharpened the local conversation, but for USC the bigger issue remains whether the defense can steady itself before the next stretch of games starts to define what kind of team it really is. [Read more 🡒]