USC Trojans To Beat Big Ten Rivals In Surprising College Football Playoff Prediction

There are mixed opinions surrounding the USC Trojans before the 2025 season begins. USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, but one analyst believes USC will not only make the College Football Playoff but beat the Oregon Ducks in the first round.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are mixed opinions surrounding the USC Trojans before the 2025 season begins. USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are unranked in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, but one analyst believes USC will not only make the College Football Playoff but beat the Oregon Ducks in the first round.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are ranked No. 7 in the preseason top-25 and are expected to be in CFP contention after winning the Big Ten title in 2024.

However, CBS Sports' Danny Kanell revealed his prediction for the CFP bracket before the regular season begins, and Kanell believes that USC will beat Oregon in the first round of the postseason. After Oregon was quickly eliminated in the Rose Bowl by Ohio State, will the Trojans hand the Ducks another early exit from the postseason?

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks in a press conference after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Trojans are scheduled to travel to Autzen Stadium to face the Ducks on Nov. 22, and Kanell's prediction has USC playing Oregon on the road again in the CFP. The first round of the upcoming CFP is scheduled for Dec. 19 and 20, meaning the two Big Ten teams would play a rematch practically a month later in Kanell's prediction.

Kanell's College Football Playoff Prediction:

Here is the full prediction from Kanell (winners in bold):

First Round

No. 9 Louisville Cardinals
No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs

No. 12 Boise State Broncos
No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

No. 11 USC Trojans
No. 6 Oregon Ducks

No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels
No. 7 Kansas State Wildcats

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs
No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions

No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes

No. 11 USC Trojans
No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide

No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels
No. 2 Clemson Tigers

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Semifinals

No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes

No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 2 Clemson Tigers

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar talks with reporters during football media day in Holuba Hall on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in State College. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

National Championship

No. 1 Penn State over No. 2 Clemson

The run comes to an end for USC in the quarterfinals of Kanell's prediction as the Trojans would run into Alabama. Still, Trojans fans would certainly accept a CFP appearance in the Riley era, let alone a win over a Big Ten rival in Oregon.

Kanell explained his reasoning behind picking USC as a surprise team in the postseason:

"Lincoln Riley at Big ten media days in Las Vegas, he had a quiet confidence about him. I think he's made some changes to the strength staff to try to bring some physicality and a little bit of a tougher team out there to LA. and they were really close. He said it several times last year, he said 'We're close.' No fan wants to hear close, but htey did take a Penn State to overtime, a team that was in the playoff. They did play a Notre Dame pretty tough until a couple late interceptions," said Kanell.