USC’s latest social media swing has people talking, and not just because of football.
With The Odyssey set to hit theaters on July 17, the Trojans leaned into the moment by posting that their fall season is “Our Odyssey begins August 29 ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Y0i2wYdfh2” The reference was meant to ride the wave of one of the summer’s biggest movie releases, but plenty of people were quick to note the irony: in The Odyssey, Troy gets sacked and the Trojans are wiped out at the start of the story.
That didn’t stop USC from making the comparison, even if the mythological backdrop is a little shaky for a team trying to build momentum under Lincoln Riley. The film is the latest from Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan and features Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and more stars.
For USC, the real story starts Aug. 29, when the Trojans open their season with a non-conference game against San Jose State. It will be Riley’s fifth year at USC, and expectations are already pointed toward a College Football Playoff run in 2026.
There’s reason for that optimism. Jayden Maiava is back at quarterback, the entire starting offensive line returns, and USC brought in Gary Patterson as its new defensive coordinator. Patterson’s background developing talent as TCU’s head coach gives the hire some real weight, but the question is how quickly that experience turns into results.
The path to the 12-team CFP is not exactly forgiving. USC either needs to win the Big Ten or secure an at-large spot, and the schedule leaves little room to stumble.
The Trojans have marquee games against Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana, and if they want a realistic shot at the postseason, three losses may be too many to survive. USC does get Oregon and Ohio State at home, but the margin remains tight even with the expanded field.
FanDuel Sportsbook lists USC at +430 to make the CFP, behind only Michigan (+480), Tennessee (+500), and Florida (+550). Those odds rank 14th nationally, which puts the Trojans firmly in the bubble conversation.
The schedule gives USC no shortage of pressure points: San Jose State on Aug. 29, Fresno State on Sept.
4, Louisiana on Sept. 12, at Rutgers on Sept. 19, Oregon on Sept.
26, Washington on Oct. 3, at Penn State on Oct. 10, at Wisconsin on Oct. 24, Ohio State on Oct. 31, at Indiana on Nov.
14, Maryland on Nov. 21, and at UCLA on Nov. 28.
The standout matchups are obvious. Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana all reached the CFP last season, and the Hoosiers and Buckeyes won the last two national championships. Penn State and Wisconsin also loom as difficult road tests, while Washington could be a problem after Oregon comes through town.
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In Other News...
Former Blue-Chip Trojan Faces A Make-Or-Break Chance At USC
Elijah Newby arrived at USC with the kind of rsum that usually suggests a player is built for a bigger role, but his first two seasons have been more about waiting than breaking through. The former four-star linebacker has flashed enough to keep hope alive, and his athletic profile has long made him an intriguing fit, especially for a defense that wants speed and flexibility from its second level.
Now there is a new opening. Incoming defensive coordinator Gary Patterson is expected to bring a faster-paced scheme that leans on five defensive backs and gives linebackers more freedom, which could suit Newby in his third season. He has already had to navigate a revolving door of linebacker coaches, and with another fresh start on the way, this looks like the kind of spring and summer that can either finally push him into a featured role or leave him fighting for the same ground again. [Read more 🡒]
USC Is Suddenly In A Crucial Fight For A Local DB
USCs push in the secondary has already turned into a local battle, and Kiingbaraka Kizzee is right in the middle of it. The Mission Viejo sophomore cornerback has been on the Trojans radar for a while, and his move to Mission Viejo for his sophomore year only adds another layer to a recruitment that already has plenty of overlap with USCs backyard. Hell also be at the same school as fellow USC recruit Jordan Hicks, giving the Trojans another familiar name to track as they keep working the 2028 and 2029 cycles.
Kizzees early high school rsum is part of what makes this one worth watching. He played well as a freshman and has already shown the kind of ability that keeps major programs involved this early, which is why USC is still pressing even with other priorities in the secondary. For the Trojans, the appeal is obvious: a local defensive back with upside, in a pipeline area, who could become one of the more important long-term recruiting swings in Southern California. [Read more 🡒]
Ronnie Lott Still Sets The Standard For USC Greatness
Ronnie Lotts USC career still reads like the blueprint for what greatness looks like in Cardinal and Gold. From 1977 to 1980, he grew from a true freshman with a limited role into one of the defining players of the era, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors in both 1979 and 1980 before his senior season put him squarely in the national spotlight. He was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, a fitting nod for a player whose time in Los Angeles helped shape the standard by which Trojans defenders are still judged.
Lotts legacy only deepened after USC, where the 49ers took him eighth overall in 1981 and watched him build a pro career that spanned ten seasons in San Francisco before stops with the Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets. The hardware followed at every level, from Pro Bowls and All-Pro recognition to four Super Bowl titles and a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, which is part of why his name still carries so much weight around the program. Even now, the conversation around USC greatness tends to circle back to the same question: who, if anyone, can really match the standard he set? [Read more 🡒]