Chad Bowden Gets Real About the USC Trojans' Big Ten Schedule

It’s no secret the USC Trojans have a gauntlet of a schedule next season as they enter year five of the Lincoln Riley era.

A late-September matchup against Oregon in week 5 will be the Trojans first test of the season and could have major College Football Playoff implications. The Ducks have been the dominant team on the West Coast in the regular season in recent memory and USC has a golden opportunity to change that narrative at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

USC Trojans general manager Chad Bowden hired from Notre Dame Fighting Irish | USC Trojans Video Youtube

USC will then host Washington and travel to Penn State the following two weeks. Both of those games could also end up being ranked matchups. Southern Cal faces Ohio State for the first time as a member of the Big Ten when the Buckeyes travel to Los Angeles on Halloween. And the Trojans will square off against the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers in mid-November.

“A lot of different people have talked to me about the schedule. We don’t need excuses, that’s not what we’re looking for, we’re ready," said USC general manager Chad Bowden on Trojans Live. "This is a great football team. They love each other, it’s a great staff. It is the most perfect schedule for this program, and we cannot wait to play in those games.”

Roster Retention Under Chad Bowden

USC Trojans Football Schedule College Football Playoff Jayden Maiava Lincoln Riley Chad Bowden Oregon Indiana Ohio State — Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) passes the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

One of the biggest differences under Bowden was the Trojans ability to retain players. It’s not enough to recruit high school prospects or players in the transfer portal, teams have to be able to hold onto the players on their current roster. Southern Cal will return the most starters in college football from a year ago with 15.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava leads the way for USC. The redshirt senior signal-caller is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football, having started 31 career games. It all at starts with him. Can he take that next step in 2026?

Next year’s quarterback draft class figures to be one of the best in recent memory, and Maiava can insert himself into that conversation with a Heisman worthy campaign. But he won’t have to do it alone. USC returns its two leading rushers in Waymond Jordan and King Miller, plus its entire starting offensive line and a freshman class that has the potential to upgrade it.

Gone are four of Maiava’s top five pass-catchers from a year ago, including Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon. However, sophomore Tanook Hines proved to be a budding star the final month of the season. USC signed former NC State transfer Terrell Anderson via the transfer portal after a breakout sophomore season. He drew strong praise from Riley in the spring.

And then it’s an impressive list of freshmen receivers. Trent Mosley was the California MaxPreps Player of the Year last fall and was very impressive in spring practice. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Tron Baker made noise as well and four-star recruit Boobie Feaster will join the mix this summer. Five-star tight end Mark Bowman has been as good as advertised and is likely a plug-and-play day one starter.

Defensively, the Trojans made major changes, starting with the hiring of former longtime TCU head coach and 2026 College Football Hall of Fame electee Gary Patterson, to be the programs new defensive coordinator. Patterson brings a wealth of knowledge and a great history of player development.

It’s a defensive unit that returns multiple starters at every level and added players such as five-star freshman defensive end Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class according to Rivals and five-star defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield. Jontez Williams was the No. 1 cornerback in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports and On3 and freshman Elbert “Rock” Hill was the No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class according to ESPN.

Pressure Packed Season for Lincoln Riley

It’s a pressure packed fifth year for Riley. The Trojans came close to reaching the College Football Playoff in his first season with the program after an 11-1 mark in the regular season.

But four years in and the playoffs at Southern Cal has still alluded him and the program since its inception in 2014. And with the playoff since expanding to 12 teams in 2024, there are no more excuses. All of the players on the roster are guys that Riley recruited.

And a tough schedule or younger roster, depending on how many freshmen end up playing, can’t be an excuse for USC not to get it done in 2026. Southern Cal adopted the slogan “the time is now” and it has been seen on billboards around campus. And that pretty much sums up where the program is at. Results have to be seen now.

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