USC is staring at a 2026 schedule that ESPN’s Football Power Index views as one of the tougher slates in the country.
The Trojans check in with the 19th-most difficult schedule nationally, according to ESPN FPI. That also makes USC the fourth-toughest Big Ten schedule on the board, trailing only Ohio State, Michigan and Northwestern.
The full list of opponents explains why the number is so high. USC’s FPI rating is 17.0, which ranks as the fourth highest in the Big Ten, and the Trojans will be tested by a mix of lighter nonconference games and a brutal run through league play.
Here is USC’s 2026 regular-season slate, along with each opponent’s FPI rating:
Aug. 29: vs. San Jose State Spartans (-14.3)
Sept. 4: vs. Fresno State Bulldogs (-2.5)
Sept. 12: vs. Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (-8.3)
Sept. 19: at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-0.2)
Sept. 26: vs.
Oregon Ducks (25.3)
Oct. 3: vs.
Washington Huskies (9.9)
Oct. 10: at Penn State Nittany Lions (13.7)
Oct. 24: at Wisconsin Badgers (4.8)
Oct. 31: vs.
Ohio State Buckeyes (28.7)
Nov. 14: vs.
Indiana Hoosiers (23.1)
Nov. 21: vs.
Maryland Terrapins (1.0)
Nov. 28: at UCLA Bruins (0.5)
Two things jump out right away when you look at the schedule.
First, USC’s nonconference slate is as soft as it gets, and the biggest reason is obvious: Notre Dame is no longer on the calendar. The Trojans and Fighting Irish have played 96 times since 1926, but that rivalry game is absent in 2026. Notre Dame’s FPI rating is 25.9, and all three of USC’s nonconference opponents carry negative FPI ratings.
The other major takeaway is the Big Ten stretch waiting later in the year. Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State headline the grind, and those three are viewed as the conference’s best teams.
Each has reached the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. Ohio State won the national title in 2024, and Indiana won it in 2025.
Oregon also brings a recent edge over USC. The Ducks have beaten the Trojans four straight times and seven of the last eight, including a 42-27 win in Eugene last season.
If USC is going to reach its first College Football Playoff, it will probably need to take down at least one, and maybe two, of those heavyweight Big Ten opponents depending on how the rest of the schedule plays out.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists USC at +240 to make the playoff.
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