The next USC-UCLA meeting already feels bigger than a standard late-November rivalry game. With both teams sitting near the top of the Big Ten picture and College Football Playoff projections in play, the 96th Crosstown Rivalry could end up carrying real postseason weight.
USC enters the stretch at No. 19 with one loss, while UCLA sits at No. 12 after a rise that has turned the Bruins into a legitimate CFP contender under first-year coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins beat USC in 2023, 38-20, with Ethan Garbers at quarterback, and the Trojans have taken the last two meetings since then.
Lincoln Riley’s team just picked up a statement win at Penn State in the annual White Out game, where Jayden Maiava led the offense through more than 114,000 fans in Happy Valley. Freshman receiver Trent Mosley also returned to the lineup, giving USC another piece as the season tightens.
The Trojans now have five games left and the road ahead is brutal. After a bye this weekend, they go to Wisconsin before taking on No.
4 Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Halloween. The Buckeyes have rolled since their early loss to No.
7 Texas and have been overwhelming Big Ten opponents since then.
USC then heads to Bloomington for a matchup with defending champion No. 5 Indiana.
That game looms as a chance for the Trojans to pull an upset, especially with the Hoosiers already having had close calls against No. 25 Northwestern and, most recently, Nebraska.
Maryland closes out the Trojans’ run before the UCLA game, and that one should favor USC against a struggling Terrapins team.
UCLA’s path looks far less punishing. The Bruins did take a major hit when Nico Iamaleava suffered a season-ending injury in their win over Oregon. Ty Dieffenbach, who handled the second half of that game, is now the starter.
Even with that setback, Chesney’s team has kept its edge on the ground. UCLA is sixth in the FBS in rushing at 253.2 yards per game, and senior back Wayne Knight has been a major driver of that success. Chesney brought Knight with him from James Madison, and Knight is tied for third in the FBS with ten rushing touchdowns while piling up 548 rushing yards in 2026.
The Bruins’ remaining schedule also looks manageable. They, too, will face Wisconsin, giving USC at least one common measuring stick before the rivalry game.
After that, UCLA gets Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan in that order. The trip to Michigan stands out as the one that could get tricky.
There is a real chance UCLA comes into the Rose Bowl undefeated when the teams meet for the Victory Bell. If USC can survive its next four-game gauntlet with only one loss, the rivalry could become the game that decides which team gets into the playoff.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Sees One USC Issue That Still Needs Fixing
USCs 31-23 win over Penn State gave Lincoln Riley plenty to like as the Trojans head into their trip to Wisconsin, but he did not sound ready to move on from one lingering concern. Even with some effective stretches on the ground, Riley said the running game still needs to be cleaned up, a reminder that the offense is not yet operating at the level he wants as the schedule tightens.
The good news for the Trojans is that there is confidence inside the building that help is coming from multiple angles. Players have backed the running back room and the offensive line, and the bye week has created a chance for returning players to get healthier before the next test. For a team trying to keep building after a marquee win, the next step may be less about style points and more about finding a more consistent rhythm on the ground. [Read more 🡒]
USC QB Publicly Stands Up For Lincoln Riley As Pressure Builds
With USCs recent stretch drawing more heat than the program is used to, Jayden Maiava took a moment away from the field to make clear where he stands on Lincoln Riley. The Trojans quarterback defended his coach during a podcast appearance, offering a public show of support at a time when every result seems to invite a fresh round of criticism.
Maiava said the outside noise only fuels the team, a sentiment that matters for a USC group still trying to steady itself in a demanding spotlight. Riley, for his part, has already praised Maiavas poise and confidence in the Penn State game, and that mutual trust is becoming one of the more important threads to watch as the pressure around the program keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
USC Offensive Line Is Getting The Attention Trojans Fans Have Noticed
USCs offensive line is starting to draw the kind of national recognition Trojans fans have been talking about for weeks. The unit landed on the 2026 Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, a nod that fits with the way Lincoln Rileys offense has moved the ball, piling up big passing and rushing totals while giving Jayden Maiava the protection needed to operate comfortably.
What has made the group stand out is not just production, but the way it has held together through injuries. Under Zach Hanson, the line has shown enough versatility to keep the offense on schedule even as pieces have shifted, and that steadiness has become a big reason USCs attack has looked so difficult to slow down. [Read more 🡒]