USC gets most of its big 2026 games at home and must take advantage

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USC football has one important advantage going into the 2026 season: Of its five toughest games in the Big Ten, three are at home. USC has played multiple road games at Oregon since the last time it hosted the Ducks. USC gets the big, bad Buckeyes of Ohio State in the Los Angeles Coliseum. It's the year when USC has to win its big home games.

ESPN's Bill Connelly writes that USC's season can turn into a major success "If … the Coliseum brings it. With Ohio State, Oregon and Washington all visiting L.A., this is USC's biggest home schedule in ages. If the Trojans go 2-1 against those three, their odds of reaching their first CFP increase dramatically."

Connelly is fundamentally correct in saying that USC needs to go 2-1 in those three huge home games. Being honest, USC should definitely beat Washington. It comes down to being able to at least split the Ohio State-Oregon pair of games. Since Oregon comes much earlier in the season, it seems USC's fate will be determined by that game. Getting the Oregon win would take a lot of pressure off the Ohio State game, provided that USC can win at Penn State. If USC beats Washington, Oregon and Penn State, the Trojans can lose to Ohio State and defending national champion Indiana and still be 10-2, which will be good enough for a playoff spot. USC going 2-1 in its three biggest home games means that as long as the Trojans don't go 0-2 versus Penn State and Indiana on the road, they should be playoff-bound.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC gets most of its big 2026 games at home and must take advantage

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