Joel Klatt Identifies Underrated Contest on USC Trojans Schedule

The USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley have a crucial season ahead that contains several tough matchups, including some of the elite teams in the Big Ten, such as Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana.

Even with games against the top contenders, college football analyst Joel Klatt mentioned a different matchup that could shape USC’s season in a major way when talking about the top 10 games that could shape the 2026 college football season on the Joel Klatt Show.

Joel Klatt Honest Reaction One Of USC's Biggest Games Next Season Penn State Nittany Lions Road Test Coach Lincoln Riley — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leads the Spirit of Troy marching band in a rendition of Tribute to Troy after teh game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC at Penn State on Oct. 10

“This is the last of a three-game critical stretch for USC. They are gonna play Oregon and Washington, both of those games are at home. Then they’ve gotta travel across country and go to Beaver Stadium, and they face Matt Campbell and his Nittany Lions. So the question then is can USC somehow, in that stretch of three, go 2-1? If you go 2-1, you set up, I think, the season for matchups late in the year against Ohio State and Indiana, where you’ve got a playoff berth on the line," said Klatt on The Joel Klatt Show.

"I think Lincoln is very confident about his team, I am bullish on USC. I think they're better at the line of scrimmage. Whoever wins that game is going to set themselves up for a real shot down the stretch,” Klatt continued.

USC's game against Penn State is interesting for a variety of reasons, but mainly because this will be the Trojans' first major road test of the season. Under Riley, USC has been a great home team, but at times has struggled on the road.

If the Trojans want to take the next step, being able to win this game on the East Coast against what should be a solid opponent in Penn State, USC could be on the right path to compete for a Big Ten title.

In addition to showing the ability to win on the road, this game could also do a lot for USC’s chances at qualifying for the College Football Playoff. With the 12-team model, it does appear that going 10-2 has given most teams a solid chance to get in, so if the Trojans can get to that 10-2 mark, there could be a good chance that they could finally qualify for the CFP.

However, to get to that 10-2 mark, USC must find a way to go 2-1 against Oregon, Washington, and Penn State in addition to going 1-1 against Ohio State at home and Indiana on the road.

In these tough games, there is no question that the play of quarterback Jayden Maiava will be very important, as USC will be playing against some of the top quarterbacks in the country. Last season, Maiava was the most efficient quarterback in the country according to QBR, as he recorded a 91.2 rating, which led the country.

After the performance that Maiava had last season, his ability to continue his development as a passer and as a rusher are both factors that should help USC to compete with the Big Ten’s elite quarterbacks.

The quarterbacks that USC will play in 2026 include Oregon’s Dante Moore, Washington’s Demond Williams, Penn State’s Rocco Becht, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Indiana’s Josh Hoover. With the talent that these quarterbacks have, Maiava’s ability to make plays consistently and give USC a chance late down the stretch could be exactly what USC needs to flip the tight losses into crucial wins.

Next season will not be easy for USC with the tough schedule, however, with the opponents that the Trojans will face, this could be a great opportunity for Riley and USC to take the next step and show that they not only belong in the Big Ten but have the ability to win the Big Ten and make a deep run in the College Football Playoff.

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