Oregon Fans May Be Surprised By Ducks' Make Or Break Football Game

The Oregon Ducks will go into their 2026 season with quite a few marquee matchups, including their home game against Washington and their road trip to Columbus to play Ohio State, but one game on their schedule has “game of the year” potential.

The Ducks will travel south to play USC at the Coliseum on Sept. 26, marking the first time the Ducks have traveled down to Los Angeles to play USC since 2020. The Ducks and Trojans have a storied history, including one of the most famous games at Autzen Stadium on Halloween in 2009 when the Ducks defeated the Pete Carroll-led Trojans 47-20.

The Ducks have had success against USC in recent memory, with the Ducks 4-0 against the Trojans in their last four matchups. The last time the Ducks lost to USC was in 2016 in Los Angeles.

Rivals in Recruiting

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Dante Moore Dakorien Moore USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Big Ten Recruiting Class — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Ducks and Trojans have been rivals not only on the field, but in the recruiting landscape and transfer portal as well. The Ducks and Trojans are both reportedly in the mix for four-star cornerback Danny Lang, one of the top prospects out of California in the class of 2027. Lang has visits planned for both Eugene and Los Angeles.

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The Trojans were also in the mix for Oregon safety Jett Washington, who was the No. 1 safety in the class of 2026 according to On3.

Oregon and USC have been continuously at the top of the recruiting class rankings in recent years, with USC owning the No. 1 overall recruiting class in 2026. The Ducks landed at No. 4, per On3's rankings

Oregon Ducks vs. USC Trojans Already Highly-Anticipated

The game against USC for Oregon has been dubbed as one of the “juiciest” games of the year by On3 college football reporter Ari Wasserman. Wasserman recently released a video where he discusses the September matchup and sent a warning to the Trojans.

“This is where USC shows, we are here to make the playoff, we are here to be part of the Big Ten race, or it’s where they say, alright, we’re not on Oregon’s level again," Wasserman said on his podcast Andy & Ari On3.

The Ducks picked up a key win against the Trojans last season that ultimately sent Oregon to the College Football Playoff while keeping USC out. The Ducks won 42-27 behind a Malik Benson punt return touchdown and two touchdown passes thrown by Dante Moore that were caught by Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

The Oregon-USC Game on September 26 will be the first Big Ten conference game for Oregon, while USC will have a road game to Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey, the week before they welcome the Ducks to Los Angeles.

The loser of the September matchup between Oregon and USC will have an uphill climb towards the College Football Playoff. On the other hand, the winner increases their margin of error as the season carries on.

Rivals in Recruiting

Oregon Ducks vs. USC Trojans Already Highly-Anticipated

Early Score Prediction: Oregon 31, USC 17