What Oregon's Shocking Upset Means for USC Trojans

The No. 14 USC Trojans witnessed the college football world shake well before their Sept. 12 contest.

All thanks to what transpired in Stillwater, with the Oklahoma State Cowboys pulling off the shocking 39-31 upset of No. 6 Oregon. The same Ducks team that many fans and analysts believed would contend for the national title before the season.

USC must be feeling great about that loss in the Midwest even before the Trojans took on Louisiana to cap off the evening of Sept. 12.

Especially in diving into what the Cowboys' upset now means for the Ducks, Trojans and the rest of the Big Ten moving forward.

Oregon vs. USC More Crucial Than Ever

Jayden Maiava USC Trojans Michigan Wolverines Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Big Ten Lincoln Riley Donald Tabron II — 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. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Two scenarios get presented here involving both teams.

Oregon can stay alive in both the Big Ten Conference title race and a College Football Playoff bid by knocking off USC on Sept. 26. Or, USC can potentially end both hopes with a victory inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on that night.

Oregon with two losses won't become a guaranteed bet to clinch a spot in Indianapolis for the conference title bout. Or even land one of the 12 postseason spots. The Trojans can severely damage Oregon's hopes before the month of September comes to an end by winning that contest.

Oregon Ducks Dante Moore Oklahoma State Cowboys Boone Pickens Stadium Stillwater USC Trojans College Football — Oregon quarterback Dante Moore throws a pass as the Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2026, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Ducks, though, can very much stay in the race for both if the following happens: Oregon escapes September with just the Oklahoma State loss attached them, plus the Ducks winning out. Their resume gets reboosted by knocking off the Trojans in their home venue and then beating the nation's current No. 1 Ohio State towards the end of the regular season.

There are still lots of scenarios at play. But the Big 12 representative Oklahoma State just set up an early wild logjam in the Big Ten.

USC can Take Early Cues From Oklahoma State

Trent Mosley USC Trojans Fresno State Bulldogs Ethan Tierney Oklahoma State Cowboys Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Lincoln Riley — Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Trent Mosley (4) scores a touchdown against Fresno State Bulldogs defensive back Ethan Tierney (4) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The focus for USC centers on surpassing the Ragin' Cajuns and then knocking off Rutgers on Sept. 19, in that order. Both are the hurdles before the Ducks pull into Los Angeles.

But best believe coach Lincoln Riley, defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, offensive coordinator Luke Huard and the rest of the USC coaching staff will take cues from Oklahoma State. This Cowboys team just delivered the new blueprint on how to defeat the monster known as the Ducks.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley College Football Recruiting TCU Horned Frogs College Football Playoffs Donald Tabron II — Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks the field before the CFP national championship game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Georgia Bulldogs at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Cowboys coach Eric Morris happens to share ties to Riley. Both are former Texas Tech Red Raiders, with Morris playing from 2004 to 2008, then serving as an assistant from 2013 to 2017. Both Morris and Riley never really got the chance to cross paths in Lubbock. But Morris runs a similar offense that Riley hits defenses with.

Yet Morris really exploited what was supposed to be one of the nation's most loaded front sevens on defense. Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker took advantage of overpursuing and bad eye discipline on the side of Oregon, particularly on this 75-yard rushing scamper.

Drew Mestemaker with a massive 75-yard rush on Oklahoma State's first play of the game 😤 pic.twitter.com/zTyXZb8ISH
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2026

He also frustrated the Ducks in making plays on the move, still completing passes deep down the field. So Riley can attack edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti now more than even for the Sept. 26 showdown.

But here's where Patterson enters the picture. The Hall of Fame coach from TCU can observe how the Cowboys won the leverage battle against Oregon tackles to create pass protection discomfort for Ducks quarterbac Dante Moore, who took four sacks on the afternoon. Moore also struggled to push the ball down the field early, even hitting just 17 yards total late in the second quarter and ended with 191 yards.

Now for what it's worth, the 2026 version of Oregon at USC may determine who gets left out of both the Big Ten and CFP race, all thanks to Oklahoma State providing the assist.

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