Usc’s Big Ten Schedule Brings Major Challenges For Trojans

The USC Trojans vanished nan play pinch a 9-4 record, earning immoderate large wins, including against Michigan and Iowa. USC coach Lincoln Riley and nan Trojans will look reliable opponents successful 2026, and nan schedule will beryllium revealed adjacent week.

Brett McMurphy of On3 reported that nan Big Ten schedule will beryllium released connected Tuesday, Jan. 27. As nan Trojans activity a College Football Playoff appearance, USC will look respective reliable opponents and will beryllium tested pinch their recreation schedule.

USC Trojans’ 2026 Big Ten Opponents

USC’s Big Ten convention schedule will see 5 distant games and 4 location matchups astatine nan Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  The Trojans will besides big nan Fresno State Bulldogs and nan Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns astatine home.

Home Opponents:
Maryland Terrapins
Ohio State Buckeyes
Oregon Ducks
Washington Huskies

Away Opponents:
Indiana Hoosiers
Penn State Nittany Lions
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Wisconsin Badgers
UCLA Bruins

USC's Toughest Conference Opponents

The USC Trojans' schedule features 3 teams that participated successful this year’s playoff, including nan nationalist title winners, nan Indiana Hoosiers.

Although nan Hoosiers will beryllium without Heisman Trophy-winning backmost Fernando Mendoza, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti proved what he tin do pinch his squad successful a short span. Even pinch changes to Indiana’s roster, having to play nan Hoosiers connected nan roadworthy will beryllium a reliable task for nan Trojans.

USC and Oregon faced disconnected successful November, pinch nan Ducks stepping distant pinch nan triumph 42-27. Both USC backmost Jayden Maiava and Oregon backmost Dante Moore are returning to their teams, making it an breathtaking matchup.

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As opposed to their astir caller matchup, USC will person nan home-field advantage, but Oregon is retaining respective cardinal pieces of its roster, making nan Ducks 1 of USC’s toughest opponents of nan season.

The Trojans will besides big nan Ohio State Buckeyes, a squad that finds a measurement to triumph each season. The Buckeyes vanished nan play 12-2, pinch their only losses being against Indiana and Miami, nan 2 teams that faced disconnected successful nan nationalist championship. The Buckeyes will person some backmost Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith returning successful nan fall, and USC’s defense will beryllium put to nan test.

The USC Trojans made respective cardinal re-signings and person nan No. 1 recruiting people coming in. Despite facing reliable opponents, Riley has nan roster to propulsion disconnected large wins and make nan playoff.

USC Trojans’ Tough Road Schedule

With nan move to nan Big Ten, nan erstwhile Pac-12 teams joined a convention that would entail a precocious level of walking each season. USC’s 2024 regular play had nan Trojans walking 7,306 miles, nan 3rd astir successful nan conference.

The Trojans will beryllium walking acold again, pinch aggregate visits to nan East Coast and Midwest. Having to recreation to Indiana, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Rutgers will beryllium reliable for nan Trojans, particularly depending connected kick-off times. USC’s first nonaccomplishment of nan play came against Illinois connected nan road, which was a 9 a.m. PT kickoff.

Last season, Riley announced nan programme changed its schedule to thief nan players set to traveling, moreover changing nan size of nan plane.

"We've changed nan type of airplane that we're in. It's a small different erstwhile you're, an hr and a half aliases an hr and 45 minutes flight, particularly pinch nan size of immoderate of these guys. Then each of a abrupt you're connected these planes for four, 4 and a half hours," Riley said.

"A mates changes successful nan schedule, benignant of timing of eating, timing of what clip we put them successful nan bed," Riley continued. "We've done a batch of investigation connected sleep, and we haven't changed thing drastically from a slumber standpoint."

How USC’s roadworthy games are dispersed out, including erstwhile nan Trojans’ bye weeks are, will beryllium thing to watch for upon nan schedule release.

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