No. 20 USC’s college football playoff path becomes clear as rankings spotlight Indiana, UCLA tests
A ranked team with work ahead
USC entered the first CFP Top 25 at No. 20, one week after defeating Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Trojans are 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
Their CFP ranking is two places below their No. 18 spot in the AP Top 25. The article points to USC’s 24-7 road defeat to Wisconsin as a possible reason the Trojans did not move into the rankings’ teens.
Three games will shape the race
USC’s remaining regular-season opponents are No. 4 Indiana on Nov. 14, Maryland on Nov. 21 and No. 8 UCLA on Nov. 28. The outcomes will determine whether the Trojans reach their goal of making the playoff for the first time in program history.
The article says victories over Indiana and UCLA could put USC in position to reach the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 5. It also says those wins could be enough for the Trojans to enter the 12-team playoff bracket.
Indiana is the next test
The teams meet in Bloomington on Nov. 14, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. PT and the broadcast on CBS. It will be their first meeting since USC joined the Big Ten in 2024; USC leads the all-time series 4-0, with their previous matchup in 1982.
Key points
- USC is No. 20 in the first College Football Playoff rankings after beating No. 12 Ohio State 30-18.
- The Trojans have three regular-season games remaining, including matchups with No. 4 Indiana and No. 8 UCLA.
- USC’s 24-7 loss to Wisconsin may have contributed to its ranking below its No. 18 AP poll position.
- USC is 4-0 all-time against Indiana, whose next meeting with the Trojans is Nov. 14.