USC Lands at No. 21 in Final Coaches Poll After Alamo Bowl Loss - Tougher Road Ahead in 2026
The 2025 college football season officially wrapped Monday night with Indiana capturing its first-ever national championship, defeating Miami in a title game that capped off a wild and unpredictable year. And with the confetti now swept off the turf, the final USA Today US LBM Coaches Poll dropped Tuesday, offering a snapshot of where programs stand heading into the offseason.
USC closed out the year ranked No. 21, a five-spot slide from its position in the final regular season poll. The drop comes on the heels of a 30-27 loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl - a game that ended USC’s season on a sour note and raised some familiar questions about the program’s trajectory under head coach Lincoln Riley.
The Trojans were one of seven Big Ten teams to crack the final top 25, an impressive showing for a conference that continues to flex its depth and power. Indiana, fresh off its historic national title run, sits atop the poll at No.
- Oregon and Ohio State followed closely behind at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively.
Iowa (No. 17), Michigan (No. 22), and Illinois (No. 25) rounded out the Big Ten’s presence.
Now, here’s where things get a little murky. USC and Iowa finished the season with identical records, and USC beat Iowa head-to-head.
Yet the Hawkeyes landed four spots higher in the final rankings. Does that make a ton of sense?
Not really. But at the end of the day, splitting hairs over a handful of spots in a postseason poll doesn’t change much - especially for a USC program that’s got much bigger challenges looming.
And those challenges are coming fast.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Trojans are staring down one of the toughest schedules in the country. They’ll hit the road to face the defending champs in Bloomington, while also hosting two top-six teams in Oregon and Ohio State. That’s three matchups against elite-level competition - all programs that ended the season with serious momentum and national respect.
For Lincoln Riley, next season is shaping up to be a pivotal one. The expectations are high, the margin for error is slim, and the schedule is unforgiving. The Trojans have the talent to compete with anyone, but they’ll need to find consistency - especially on the defensive side of the ball - if they want to climb back into the national conversation.
USC’s No. 21 finish might feel underwhelming, but it also sets the stage for a high-stakes 2026 campaign. The pieces are there. Now it’s about putting them together when it matters most.