After opening the season 6-1, Southern California appeared to be at least in the mix and in conversation on the College Football Playoff radar ahead of the selection committee's first rankings release.
Then came a loss to unranked Wisconsin, reigniting questions about Lincoln Riley's future in Los Angeles.
A week later, however, the Trojans responded with a season-defining victory over then-No. 2 Ohio State, securing their first top-five win under Riley and thrusting themselves back into the CFP conversation.Now on their second bye week of the season, USC sits at 7-2 but remains a long shot for the 12-team playoff. Despite the statement win over the Buckeyes, the Trojans debuted at No. 20 in the committee's first CFP rankings, leaving them little
margin for error down the stretch.
Watch select USC football games with Fubo (free trial)
Jayden Maiava has been one of the top quarterbacks this season, both in the country and in the Big Ten. The 6-foot-4 quarterback ranks sixth nationally with 2,524 yards and eighth with 20 touchdowns, while completing 66.9% of his passes.
Here's when the Trojans are set to return, including a look at USC's remaining schedule:
Does USC football play today?
No, USC is on its second bye week of the 2026 season. The Trojans return to action next week in Week 11 when they travel to No. 4 Indiana.
The Trojans' trip to Bloomington will mark the first meeting between the programs since USC joined the Big Ten in 2024. It will also be the first matchup between USC and Indiana since 1982, when the Trojans picked up a 28-7 win to extend their all-time series lead to 4-0.
As a two-loss team, USC enters the season's final stretch with little room for error in its College Football Playoff pursuit. The Trojans were ranked No. 20 in the selection committee's first CFP rankings of the season, making them the fourth-highest-ranked Big Ten team in the overall CFP top 25. A win against Indiana — which has needed overtime each of the last two weeks against Michigan and Minnesota — would certainly improve USC's CFP ranking, though that wouldn't come until the committee's Nov. 17 ranking edition.
USC football schedule 2026
Below is a look at USC's schedule for 2026, including past scores and future available kickoff times and TV channel information:
- Saturday, Aug. 29: USC 42, San Jose State 26
- Friday, Sept. 4: USC 39, Fresno State 0
- Saturday, Sept. 12: USC 49, Louisiana 30
- Saturday, Sept. 19: USC 42, Rutgers 35 *
- Saturday, Sept. 26: No. 21 Oregon 41, USC 27 *
- Saturday, Oct. 3: USC 25, Washington 21 *
- Saturday, Oct. 10: USC 31, Penn State 23 *
- Saturday, Oct. 17: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Wisconsin 24, USC 7 *
- Saturday, Oct. 31: USC 30, No. 2 Ohio State 18 *
- Saturday, Nov. 7: BYE
- Saturday, Nov. 14: at No. 4 Indiana | 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS (Fubo) *
- Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Maryland
- Saturday, Nov. 28: at No. 5 UCLA *
* Denotes Big Ten game
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is USC playing today? Trojans football schedule, next game after Week 10 bye
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