Big Ten football title contention for the USC Trojans should have been a reality going into Halloween against Ohio State. The path to finish the rest of the season looked very encouraging, considering the mediocre caliber of quarterbacks the Trojans were going to face in late October and throughout November. USC had a golden opportunity in front of it. Then the Men of Troy went to Madison and got outplayed in every facet of the game, with the Wisconsin Badgers handing them a 24-7 defeat.
The Trojans had the better quarterback on paper coming into this matchup and an offense that figured to give the Wisconsin Badgers' defense a real test. Jayden Maiava had his worst game of the season, being sacked five times and throwing two first-half interceptions.
He simply got outplayed by a lesser quarterback in Colton Joseph, who only had to throw for 58 yards passing to accomplish that feat.
The USC Trojans' offense fell short of expectations. The Trojans finished the game with -17 yards rushing, which is inexcusable. The Trojans could not run the football at all in this game. That put all the pressure on the pass game to deliver, and Jayden Maiava and company crumbled. On a typical offensive day for USC, the Trojans win this game, and that is what is most frustrating. The Badgers are not the overwhelmingly better roster on paper. Wisconsin does nothing special, yet they made USC look like they did not belong on the same field.
The Trojans allowed Wisconsin to play bully ball and win the physicality battle in this game. The Badgers were unstoppable in the run game and equally dominant on defense, stopping the run. That set the tone for how the rest of the game would go, and USC showed zero resistance. That reflects on the head coach and his lack of preparation.
The Trojans need a change at the top for the 2027 season. If not, the same story will continue to occur. USC is a good team, and they will not be at the bottom of the Big Ten. However, avoiding the bottom isn't the USC standard. Rising to the top is the standard, and Lincoln Riley is not about to deliver that standard to USC. He has failed quite conclusively in five long and miserable seasons in Los Angeles.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football fell completely flat and proved the doubters right
