Three Critical Games for USC Left Tackle Elijah Paige's Season

In a conference like the Big Ten, being able to dominate the line of scrimmage is crucial, especially on the offensive side of the ball, which is why USC’s returning offensive line could have a major role during the 2026 season. Specifically, left tackle Elijah Paige has an opportunity to make a major impact next season for the Trojans’ offense.

Heading into next season, here are three games where Paige’s performance could have a crucial impact on the outcome and could put USC in a great position to compete for a Big Ten title.

Three Critical Games USC Trojans Left Tackle Elijah Paige Next Season Indiana Hoosiers Penn State Nittany Lions UCLA Bruins — Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC offensive lineman Elijah Paige speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

1. Indiana Hoosiers

Without question, one of the toughest games that the Trojans have on the 2026 schedule is the road matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers. Under coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have experienced great success with two College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship victory last season.

With that success, Cignetti has helped Indiana to become a dominant force in the trenches and generate a significant amount of negative plays in the run game and in the pass game. As a defense in 2025, the Hoosiers recorded 129 tackles for loss, which led the country. Indiana was also very disruptive against the pass as the Hoosiers recorded 46 sacks, which ranked second in the nation.

For Paige, this is a game that he must perform well in himself, but also make sure that USC’s offensive line plays well as a unit. Against a team like Indiana, the Trojans must limit the negative plays that the Hoosiers can generate, which could put USC quarterback Jayden Maiava in a tough position on the later downs in obvious passing situations against a solid Indiana defensive line.

As a left tackle, Paige must provide reliable protection for Maiava on the blindside so he can work through the progression and lead the Trojans to the scoring drives that USC will need to beat a Big Ten contender like Indiana.

If Paige and USC’s offensive line can limit Indiana’s disruptive ability, the Trojans should be able to compete with Indiana and potentially steal an important game on the road.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

USC has another key road game later in the season as the Trojans travel to play the Penn State Nittany Lions. In USC’s matchup with Penn State, Paige and the Trojans’ offensive line have another tough Big Ten matchup after a solid showing from the Nittany Lions' defense in 2025.

Last season, Penn State was disruptive in the run game as the Nittany Lions totaled 79 tackles for loss, ranking 39th in the country. The Penn State defense was also formidable against the pass, as the pass rush recorded 32 sacks and ranked 31st in the nation.

While the Nittany Lions did perform well as a defense last season, the Penn State defense could look quite different both schematically and from a personnel standpoint after hiring Matt Campbell as the next head coach.

Regardless of how the Nittany Lions perform as a defense next season, Paige must lead USC’s offensive line into this game with an intense focus to establish the run game and protect Maiava against a solid Penn State defense. In addition to the Nittany Lions being a competitive Big Ten opponent, the Trojans also have to battle competitiveness with the bye week immediately following this matchup against Penn State.

With the bye week following the matchup with the Nittany Lions, it is up to the upperclassmen like Paige to keep USC focused and ready to take advantage of the opportunity that is in front of the Trojans.

As Paige and the Trojans head into this game against Penn State, Paige’s ability to anchor a focused and physical effort from USC should help the Trojans to come out with a victory in this game and set the tone for what could be USC’s best season under coach Lincoln Riley.

3. UCLA Bruins

In the last game of the regular season, the Trojans are set to match up with the UCLA Bruins, which is arguably one of the biggest games of the season for USC, as it is one of the most intense rivalries in all of college football.

With USC playing a rivalry game like this, being able to dominate up front could be something that turns a tight game into a game that the Trojans can run away with.

Last season in the trenches, UCLA struggled as one of the worst defenses in the entire country after allowing 190.42 rush yards per game, and ranked 119th in the country. The Bruins also struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks as they recorded 10 sacks for the entire season. Even with the struggles that UCLA had last season, it seems that the Bruins could be in a much better spot under the leadership of new head coach Bob Chesney.

However, with the changes that UCLA has made, the Bruins may lack continuity, which could cause miscommunications on the UCLA defense. With that in mind, Paige and USC’s offensive line may have an advantage and could dominate the Bruins’ front, especially in the run game, to control the tempo of the game as well as the time of possession, in addition to limiting the hits Maiava takes.

If Paige and USC’s offensive line can dominate the line of scrimmage against UCLA, this is a game that the Trojans could dominate and give themselves positive momentum heading into the postseason, whether it be a Big Ten championship, a bowl game, or an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

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