USC football is ranked No. 11 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, presented by USA TODAY Sports. The Trojans watched Big Ten foes Oregon and Ohio State lose in a Week 2 shakeup.
Oregon fell to No. 18 in the poll after its shocking loss as a 24-point favorite against Oklahoma State. Ohio State dropped to No. 6 in the poll after blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter against Texas. Oklahoma, a team USC fans enjoy seeing lose, fell to 21 after the loss to Michigan.
The College Football Playoff picture in the Big Ten looks very different from how it did one week ago. Oregon is now in a very precarious position. The Ducks visit both USC and Ohio State later this season, so the Trojans know that if they can beat the Ducks on September 26, Oregon could
then miss the playoff if it loses at Ohio State. USC could deliver a massive blow to Oregon, so the stakes and incentives attached to Trojans-Ducks just got even larger, something we didn't anticipate before the season began.
With Ohio State losing to Texas, the Buckeyes also lost some margin for error in the playoff race. With Ohio State and Oregon both losing in Week 2, their meeting later in the season feels more like a possible elimination game rather than a play-in game. Those two teams cannot afford to lose a game elsewhere on their schedule. They have been squeezed by their early-season losses and have to walk a very fine line.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC rises while Oregon, Ohio State fall in US LBM Coaches Poll
