Toughest game of 2026 season for USC will be at home vs Oregon

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With the end of the Notre Dame-USC rivalry, the biggest game on the schedule for the Trojans will be against the Oregon Ducks. This rivalry is always circled on the calendar, but this year it will be more prioritized than ever. In recent years, the Ducks have taken care of business. Since they and USC have left the Pac-12, the Ducks have been the superior team. Lincoln Riley needs to put an end to that this season.

In a recent article, Caden Handwork ranks the toughest to easiest games for the Trojans to win this season at home. The Oregon Ducks are slotted as the toughest match. Here is what he had to say about the matchup:

“In what will be the most anticipated game of the first month of the college football season, Riley and the Trojans look to make a statement victory over coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks. Last season, Riley fell to 0-2 against Lanning as the Ducks defeated the Trojans 42-27 at Autzen Stadium, keeping them out of the College Football Playoff. 

An upset win over the Ducks on Sept. 26 at the Coliseum could help set the tone for the Trojans to reach the CFP in Riley’s fifth season. One of the deciding factors in the matchup will be the quarterback duel between Oregon’s Dante Moore and USC’s Jayden Maiava, two of the top returning quarterbacks in the Big Ten and college football.”

The Trojans will face off against the Ducks in Week 4 of the upcoming season. This game will set the tone for what this season will be for USC. Lincoln Riley and Maiava can silence all the doubters with a win. A win for Jayden Maiava also could prompt him into consideration for the Heisman and being a top-seeded quarterback in 2027. Everyone will know whether or not this team is serious at the end of this match.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football will face first and biggest test vs Oregon Ducks

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