What A 24-Team Playoff Would Look Like For The Big Ten

The USC Trojans hold a 5-2 record as the program heads into its second bye week. Ahead of the season, the Big Ten pushed for a 24-team College Football Playoff expansion. Heading into week 9 of the season, where would USC's postseason hopes be?

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half of the Pac-12 Championship against the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the storylines ahead of the season was the possibility of a 24-team college football playoff expansion. The Big Ten was one of the biggest advocates of the idea and what it could look like. One of the main reasons to have another playoff expansion is the increase in automatic qualifiers for the Power 4 conferences.

Though the 24-team playoff may not happen anytime soon, Fox Sports’ RJ Young revealed what the bracket would look like ahead of week 9 of the college football season. The USC Trojans are 5-2, with a 3-1 Big Ten conference record. Despite five wins, the Trojans would still be in the hunt.

What A 24-Team Playoff Would Look Like For The Big Ten

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field before a game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Despite USC having five wins heading into week 9, the Trojans would not be an automatic qualifier to make the CFP. The four teams that would qualify, and their projected rankings, are the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers, No. 5 Oregon Ducks, and the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini.

Ohio State and Indiana are the two final undefeated teams in the Big Ten, while Oregon has just one loss. The Illinois Fighting Illini have the same record as USC, 5-2, but one of their wins was against the Trojans.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

There are several teams in the Big Ten, including USC and Illinois, holding a 5-2 record, and some with a high conference record. With that, there would still be eight teams in the hunt for a CFP appearance through the final stretch of the season.

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Hypothetical Big Ten Teams in the Hunt

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) warms up prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

• USC Trojans (5-2)
• Michigan Wolverines (5-2)
• Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2)
• Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-2)
• Washington Huskies (5-2)
• Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-2)
• Northwestern Wildcats (5-2)
• UCLA Bruins (3-4)

One thing that the 24-team CFP would do is keep the competition high across the season. While teams still battle to earn a bowl game even when no longer in the playoff race, an expansion would keep teams in the hunt for longer.

USC Trojans Being In The Hunt Concerning?

While the USC Trojans entered the season unranked, there were still high expectations due to the talent on the roster. With the Big Ten getting four automatic qualifiers in this hypothetical, it could be seen as concerning that the Trojans would still only be in the hunt at this point of the season.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With USC’s roster, the Trojans not being a top-four team in the conference is a tough look for USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. The team's two losses were against the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini and the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With both being against ranked opponents on the road, it hurt the program’s chances of being seen as a playoff team.

One of the biggest critiques of Riley is his lack of wins against ranked opponents. Fortunately, the Trojans dominated against the No. 25 Michigan Wolverines, who were ranked No. 15 at the time.

The USC Trojans have five games remaining this season as they head into their second bye during week 9. After the bye, the Trojans will face Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, Oregon, and UCLA. The No. 6 Oregon Ducks are their toughest remaining opponent.

If the 24-team CFP were real, the USC Trojans would still have a shot to make the bracket with five weeks to go, but it would be an uphill battle for the team.