There have been times when confidence has been extremely high for the USC Trojans. There have also been times when all hope seemed lost. USC has been given a great opportunity to reach heights that haven't been reached under Lincoln Riley. Here is my overreaction take on USC football following a chaotic Week 7 in the Big Ten:
USC Trojans have to be feeling a lot better about their odds in the Big Ten. Each of the top three teams in the Big Ten has its own crippling issues. Ohio State seemed like a team that was going to steamroll the USC Trojans a couple of weeks ago. Now that game looks a lot more manageable with Julian Sayin out.
One of the best stories in the Big Ten, the UCLA Bruins are without their starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, for
the rest of the season. They did not steamroll the Wisconsin Badgers in Week 7. They can be beaten if the Trojans can slow down Wayne Knight.
The Indiana Hoosiers have a quarterback who cannot win the big games. Jayden Maiava is better than Josh Hoover by a wide margin. It was evident how much Hoover will hinder the Hoosiers' success against Ohio State on Saturday.
Things have completely changed for the USC Trojans. The three best teams in the Big Ten can all be beaten by USC. The Trojans control their own destiny, and if they show up in any of those three games, they will come out on top. This is all Lincoln Riley and the Trojans could ever ask for.
There may not be a team in the Big Ten in a better position for the second half of the season. Talented and pivotal players are returning for USC. Their star quarterback is coming off of a lights-out performance. There is still reason to doubt this football team, but they can put all doubt and concern to bed by taking full advantage of the opportunity ahead of them.
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 has been gifted a great opportunity in 2026 season
