USC football has a tough schedule. We all knew this many months ago. The release of the preseason 2026 US LBM Coaches Poll, presented by USA TODAY Sports, affirms just how tough USC's Big Ten path is.
Three of the top six teams in the poll are on USC's schedule this fall. More than that, the top two teams in the country are on the Trojans' 2026 slate. Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2 in the poll, and defending national champion Indiana is No. 6. This underscores the gauntlet USC will face, and why the Trojans have a difficult path to the College Football Playoff even though their roster is generally regarded as being better than last year.
In 2025, USC had a very favorable schedule. The Trojans did not play Ohio State or Indiana, the two teams which
wound up meeting in the Big Ten Championship Game. Both reached the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, with Indiana going beyond that round and winning the whole thing. USC avoided those teams but still went only 9-3 because it lost to Illinois, the game fans and analysts look back on as the most crushing and important loss of the whole season. USC could play better football this year and yet end up where the 2025 team did because the degree of difficulty on the schedule is so much higher this season.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC opponents Ohio State and Oregon are 1 and 2 in preseason poll
