Ranking Every USC Road Game From Hardest To Easiest

As the USC Trojans prepare for next season, there are several tough tests for USC on the road that could go a long way in determining the outcome for the entire season.

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

Heading into next season, the USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley have an opportunity to finally qualify for the College Football Playoff. However, this season will have plenty of tests, especially on the road for the Trojans.

So, it is time to rank USC’s road games from hardest to easiest as the Trojans prepare for a critical 2026 season. 

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

Indiana Hoosiers

Without question, the toughest road game that the Trojans have is the matchup with the Indiana Hoosiers, who come off the national championship victory.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has done a great job, resetting the culture for the Hoosiers, which has helped them to become one of the more disciplined and consistent teams in the country. Cindi has done a great job, specifically on the line of scrimmage, where he has turned the Hoosiers into one of the more physically imposing teams in the entire country.

May 24, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers football head coach Curt Cignetti waves before the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Following the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, Cignetti was able to recruit TCU quarterback Josh Hoover to take over at quarterback for Indiana. While Hoover is new to the Hoosier system, the situation around him puts him in a great position to succeed and lead Indiana to a CFP birth once again. 

While the matchup against the Hoosiers will be difficult, if USC does want to compete in the Big Ten, this is a game that the Trojans must find a way to compete in and potentially win.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Even with a matchup like Indiana on the schedule, the environment against the Penn State Nittany Lions could be the most hostile environment that USC walks into next season.

Penn State is notorious for having hostile crowds and can often put visiting teams in very uncomfortable situations. In addition to that, the Nittany Lions will also have a new coach at the helm with Matt Campbell, who had a great run with Iowa State before taking the Penn State job. With that in mind, the Nittant Lions should be walking into this game with a desire to do whatever it takes to come out with the wind under their new head coach.

In an environment like Penn State, the performance of quarterback Jayden Maiava could be one of the more important factors to quiet down the crowd and give the Trojans the assurance they can pick up a win. If Maiava can perform well, and USC does not get distracted by the Penn State crowd, this is definitely an opportunity for the Trojans to pick up what could be a major win in Big Ten conference play.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Wisconsin Badgers

Over the past few seasons, the Wisconsin Badgers have not been a dominant force in the Big Ten, but have consistently been one of the more physical teams in the conference, providing a great test for USC’s physicality.

For the Trojans, one of the biggest areas of improvement is being able to become one of the more principal teams in the conference, the teams like Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon all showcasing that ability, which has helped those teams to become the top-tier in the Big Ten. Against a team like Wisconsin on the road, the Trojans have the opportunity to prove that they cannot only dominate on the offensive line but can also be very disruptive on the defensive line.

This could turn out to be a tough road test for USC, but if the Trojans are one of the top teams in the Big Ten, this is a game that the Trojans should dominate through physicality and make a statement to the rest of the conference.

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA Bruins

One of the more intriguing games on USC's schedule seems to be the matchup with the UCLA Bruins in one of the most storied rivalries in all of college football. Next season, UCLA will have a new coach at the helm with Bob Chesney taking over the program after having great success at James Madison.

In this game, the quarterback matchup between USC’s Jayden Maiava and UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava could be one of the biggest differentiating factors, in addition to how physical rivalry games typically are. While USC does seem to have a better roster top to bottom, all that matters is who is better for 60 minutes, so USC must bring a full effort; otherwise, they could be in danger of losing one of the most important games of the season.

However, if the Trojans do play to their potential, this is a game that they can dominate and could be the finishing touch on one of Riley’s best seasons with the Trojans.

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Rutgers Scarlett Knights

Near the beginning of the season, USC will play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, which is their first game in Big Ten conference play, but it should be a game that USC can control from start to finish.

However, the one danger of this game could be the Trojan looking ahead to a match-up with Oregon the next week, which could result in a potential trap game for USC. If the Trojans do want to become one of the dominant forces in the Big Ten, this is something that they cannot afford to do and must treat every opponent the same with a full 60-minute effort.

As USC prepares for this game early in the season, Riley‘s ability to keep the team focused and have the offense, defense, and special teams all perform to their potential should help the Trojans to not only win this game but also have great momentum heading into one of the biggest games of the season against the Oregon Ducks.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.