USC should be mad, not happy, that Oregon got blasted by Indiana

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USC football fans are celebrating the fact that the Oregon football "O" logo still represents the number of national championships the Ducks have won. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Fans should celebrate when rivals lose. That's sports. That's competition. Sports are supposed to be fun, and when a rival loses by 34 points as Oregon did to Indiana, that's fun. However, we can all admit that USC should be in these CFP semifinal games competing for college football's biggest prizes.

Oregon was not a great team this season

The Oregon Ducks had a good season, but not a great one. They didn't even play all that well in their quarterfinal win over Texas Tech. They got a very soft and easy draw in the first round, playing James Madison. They had a huge opportunity with an Indiana rematch after losing the first game earlier this season. Oregon had healthier receivers for this matchup. Dante Moore got a second crack at that IU defense. It didn't matter.

Oregon struggled against Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, and other less-than-great opponents in 2025. Yet, the Ducks powered through to the semifinals because they won close games and showed toughness at the right times. That's an attainable formula for USC and Lincoln Riley, yet a formula which has eluded the Trojans since 2022. It should make the Trojans mad they can't go as far as Oregon even in years when the Ducks aren't a top-tier team.

Oregon was better in 2024 than in 2025

Yes, this Oregon team went deeper in the CFP than the 2024 team did, but the 2024 team ran into the Ohio State juggernaut. If the 2024 team played James Madison and Texas Tech, it would have won easily. It probably would have put up a much better fight against Indiana.

Oregon doesn't walk away empty-handed

In terms of national championships, sure, Oregon got nothing this season, but the Ducks did get two playoff wins. They were part of the national conversation in early January. That's not nothing. USC would love to have what Oregon produced this season, but the Trojans can't even get into the CFP.

Better to make the big game than not at all

Oregon losing by 34 to Indiana was enjoyable to watch for 3.5 hours on a Friday night with a pizza and beer — or a margarita and an enchilada platter — but the bigger picture is that Oregon is playing in the biggest, most important games of seasons in January and USC is not. Oregon is at least in the arena. Does the blowout loss carry a measure of humiliation? Sure, but Oregon is at least giving itself a chance to win national titles. USC is not.

USC didn't even come close to beating this Oregon team

USC watched Oregon make a large number of mistakes against Indiana. Guess what? Oregon made a large number of mistakes against USC, and it didn't remotely matter. 42-27 was the final in spite of UO's many errors. USC should feel absolutely embarrassed about its performance. Losing decisively to an opponent playing great football is one thing; losing decisively to a sloppy and mistake-prone opponent is quite another thing.

Indiana punishes mistakes in a way USC never could

When Oregon made a mistake against USC, the Trojans gave momentum and leverage back with an error of their own. When Oregon made a mistake against Indiana, the Ducks lost seven points and watched the game rapidly spiral out of their hands.

Curt Cignetti and Indiana aren't reinventing the wheel

Indiana and Cignetti aren't doing magic tricks out there. They simply have standards, create the culture, and get players to consistently perform the way the coaches expect them to play. That's it. That's the whole ballgame. There is absolutely no reason Lincoln Riley and USC can't do this. It's maddening, and it should anger every USC player who watched Oregon get bombed.

Indiana isn't doing this with 5-star players

Indiana's blue-chip ratio is low compared to Oregon and other major national programs. Curt Cignetti isn't doing this with the highest-rated prospects in the country. USC has a No. 1-ranked recruiting class coming in. If the Trojans can't improve now, they never will under Lincoln Riley. This program has to stop settling for second class, below the top tier in the Big Ten and the nation.

Indiana did all this in two years

The Indiana turnaround — regardless of context or nuance — is incredible on its own terms. Indiana being 15-0 and a juggernaut in any college football season is extraordinary. Curt Cignetti doing all of this in two years is the truly incredible part of this transformation. If Lincoln Riley can't get it done in Year 5 at USC, when will he ever do it? It's time for USC to insist on something better.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Oregon blowout loss to Indiana should motivate USC to get it right

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