Indiana, Ohio State taught USC and Lincoln Riley a core lesson

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Indiana and Ohio State didn’t play a great Big Ten Championship Game. Their offenses were not special. Only one side of the ball dominated Saturday’s 1-versus-2 clash in Indianapolis. Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin both showed why they shouldn’t even be considered for the Heisman Trophy. They aren’t even the best players on their own teams. However, the Hoosiers and Buckeyes definitely played big-boy football at a level USC has not matched under Lincoln Riley. We hope the Trojan coach was taking notes:

Winning in spite of ordinary offense

Indiana scored only 13 points yet beat the (previous) No. 1 team in the country because its defense was so good. Lincoln Riley wants to win games 45-42. Indiana is 13-0 because it can win a street fight against another strong defensive team.

Oklahoma and Brent Venables

Oklahoma and Brent Venables made the CFP before Lincoln Riley and USC did because, like Indiana, OU has a defense which can dominate and carry the freight even when the offense is struggling. Oklahoma clinched its playoff berth with an ugly 17-13 win over LSU. The OU offense isn’t particularly good, but the defense is so great it doesn’t matter.

Shootouts in college football

Lincoln Riley knows how to win a shootout, but in college football, power conference shootouts have decreased in number. In games involving only power conference teams, not the Group of Five, there were 71 games in 2016 in which both teams scored at least 30 points. Want to know how many of those games existed this year, in 2025? Only 42. That’s a significant dropoff. Riley is coaching at a time when shootouts are less prevalent. USC has to be able to win more street fights.

Indiana and Ohio State defensive lines

The Indiana and Ohio State defensive lines are easily the best position groups on those two teams. It’s no wonder IU and OSU played a 13-10 rockfight. The defensive lines controlled the game. Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin are quite clearly not the best players on their own teams. They help their team win, but they certainly aren’t the No. 1 reason their team wins. It all starts up front. This is obvious.

Incredible 2025 Indiana football fact

Indiana played Oregon and Ohio State this season. Those two teams have allowed a combined total of 25 sacks. Indiana is responsible for 11 of them. That’s crazy. Indiana’s defensive line is an absolute monster. It’s why the Hoosiers are 13-0, far more than Fernando Mendoza.

USC under Pete Carroll

Forget Indiana and Ohio State for a moment. How did USC rise to the top of college football in 2003 and then stay there for several more seasons? Elite defensive line play. Wild Bunch II led the USC renaissance. The Trojans did not play elite offense in that road game at Auburn in early 2003 which marked the true arrival of USC as a college football powerhouse. USC shut out Auburn, scoring a modest 23 points. It was the defense which led USC to the mountaintop under Pete Carroll. This is the way back for USC.

Eric Henderson and his Dawgwork

Eric Henderson really is the most important USC football assistant coach in 2026. He has to set the bar high and meet a lofty standard. The defensive line is easily the most important USC position group next season. If this unit really comes together, we can envision USC competing with Indiana and Ohio State. If not, the Lincoln Riley project will fail and the Trojans will be looking for a new head coach in 2027.

Linebackers and defensive line

The USC linebackers weren’t good in 2025, but they also didn’t get help from the defensive front. Indiana and Ohio State didn’t have that problem because the D-line put the linebackers in position to succeed. The USC defensive line, if it improves to a large degree in 2026, will make life so much easier for the Trojans’ linebackers. This is how all the pieces of the puzzle can come together. It all starts up front for USC. Indiana and Ohio State have shown the way.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Indiana and Ohio State showed why they have lapped USC in Big Ten

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