Why no excuses should be made for USC football in 2026 Big Ten season

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Some people will say this is not the right year to offer a final verdict on USC football under Lincoln Riley. The thought process is simple: Riley needs one more elite recruiting class to finally have championship-caliber depth on his roster. The 2026 Big Ten football schedule is too difficult. One more year might be needed. We think that's too lenient toward Riley. The excuses have to end now, not later.

Penn State

Let's be realistic here. USC should beat Penn State. The Nittany Lions are basically Iowa State in different uniforms, with Matt Campbell carrying a large number of Cyclones to Happy Valley. Iowa State was not great last year. USC should be better than Iowa State in blue and white. That is not a coin-flip game. USC should be better by a good margin.

Washington

USC should definitely beat Washington at home. The Huskies have notable flaws on their roster and were not better than USC last season. This game won't be a piece of cake, but it's not a game in which USC will be an underdog, either.

Five-game Big Ten gauntlet is more like three

You can include Penn State and Washington as part of a five-game Big Ten football gauntlet for USC in 2026, but it might be more accurate to say USC should beat PSU and UW, and that the Trojans are actually dealing with a three-game gauntlet of Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon. This should reframe the debate about USC's 2026 schedule.

A different view

Instead of thinking that USC has to handle five top Big Ten teams this year, a different view would pose the idea that USC should win nine games for sure and just has to win one of Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon to reach 10-2 and make the College Football Playoff. When phrased that way, the 2026 Big Ten schedule doesn't seem quite as daunting.

Ohio State and Oregon at home

Indiana on the road seems like the toughest game on USC's schedule. Ohio State and Oregon are also very tough games, but they are at home. Let's put it this way, then: If USC wins the nine games it is absolutely supposed to win, the Trojans just need to split the OSU-Oregon pair of home games to make the playoff. It's not asking too much of Lincoln Riley to demand that.

Why 2025 was more of a failure than you think

The 2025 USC football season was better than 2024, but it was still a failure. Why? USC didn't play Indiana or Ohio State last season. The schedule was softer. Blowing the Illinois game was a crusher. The fact that USC failed in 2025 shouldn't make anyone more lenient toward Lincoln Riley in 2026. If anything, last year should intensify the pressure on Riley to deliver this year and compensate for last season.

The obvious concern

The really big worry for USC football is that the 9-3 record, achieved in 2025 without playing Ohio State or Indiana, will mislead fans into thinking the program was and is farther along than it actually is. That's why USC needs to knock the door down and finally make the playoff this year. No excuses. It's long past time to get the job done.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Why no excuses should be made for USC football in 2026 Big Ten season

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