USC Fans Won't Love This Prediction From College GameDay Host

College GameDay host Rece Davis shared his thoughts on how many games the USC Trojans will win in 2026.

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. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans enter the season after narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff in 2025, and the expectations around USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans have been a mixed bag when it comes to 2026.

Rece Davis Doubting USC Trojans' Playoff Chances

According to ESPN's College GameDay host Rece Davis, USC is unlikely to win 10 games this season, and failing to reach that benchmark likely means that the Trojans will fail to miss the CFP for another year.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; ESPN personality Rece Davis interviews Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti after the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On the College GameDay Podcast, Davis and ESPN writer Dan Wetzel asked the question if the Trojans will be "good" or "great" next season.

"They'll be good. They might knock off somebody that you don't expect them to. They might dump one that they probably should win. I'm going to say good. Nine wins, something along those lines," said Davis.

In the 2025 CFP rankings, Texas was the highest-ranked nine-loss team at No. 13, and the Longhorns were a couple places shy of making the 12-team field. Even BYU and Notre Dame, who won 11 and 10 games, respectively, both missed out on the postseason.

Wetzel shared a similar opinion to Davis, although he didn't put a number on how many games he expects USC to win. Instead, Wetzel questioned if the Trojans will be able to have success playing road games in the Big Ten on top of a rather difficult home slate:

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I gotta see it from this USC team," said Wetzel. "I gotta see how a USC team plays in the Big Ten with that much travel. I know it's an excuse, but it's also reality. Are they really ready for that grind? They have a potential to be great, no question. But they've had a lot of promise the last few years. . . ."

USC Trojans Win Total Betting Odds

FanDuel released betting odds for the win totals of each Big Ten team, and USC's line is set at 8.5 wins. The odds for the Trojans to win over 8.5 games are +110 while the odds for anything under 8.5 wins are -134.

Riley and company have the same win totals as Michigan and Penn State, but oddsmakers seemingly predict Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana to finish with more wins than the Trojans.

USC does return an experienced roster that should be able to navigate road games against teams like Penn State, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Notre Dame is not on the Trojans' schedule, but USC will be making plenty of trips across the country as part of the Big Ten. In addition to Midwestern trips, USC also has to play Rutgers on the road before facing Oregon at home, and the Scarlet Knights could lay a trap for the Trojans.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field before the game during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In addition to hosting the Ducks, USC will have home games against Washington and Ohio State. Meanwhile, new UCLA coach Bob Chesney seemingly has the Bruins pointing in the right direction, and the Trojans will end their season at the Rose Bowl against their crosstown rivals.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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