College Football Playoff Long Shots: Big Ten, USC Trojans Betting Odds Revealed

The USC Trojans have not made a College Football Playoff since the format was introduced in 2014. Will Lincoln Riley be able to lead USC to the playoff this year despite the odds being against them?

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans have not made a College Football Playoff since the format was adopted in there 2014 season. USC has knocked on the door a few times, but has not got over the hump. Will 2025 be the year they get in?

There are a handful of Big Ten teams with favorable odds to make the playoff, but USC is not one of them.

Can USC Trojans Make Their First College Football Playoff? 

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Kyle Ford (81) celebrates after a first down against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The odds are stacked against the USC Trojans to make the College Football Playoff this season. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Trojans have odds of +500 to make it and odds of -800 to miss it. 

USC has been on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff since it began in 2014. It was just a four-team playoff until last season, when it expanded to 12-teams due to all of the conference realignment. 

The past two seasons, USC was out of the playoff race once November came around. The last time they were in the hunt was in Lincoln Riley’s first season in Los Angeles in 2022. USC went 11-1 in the regular season and entered the Pac-12 Championship game against the Utah Utes. A win and they would have made the four-team playoff. 

USC came up short, losing to Utah for the second time that season and had to settle for a Cotton Bowl appearance. They lost to Tulane in that game, finishing the year 11-3. 

While USC has not made a playoff appearance, the same cannot be said for coach Lincoln Riley. In his time with the Oklahoma Sooners from 2017 through 2021, Riley’s Sooners made the playoffs three different times. He went 0-3 in these playoff games. 

MORE: Reggie Bush Gets Concerning Update On Lawsuit Against NCAA, Pac-12

MORE: LeBron James, Bronny James Proposed Los Angeles Lakers Trade Package

MORE: USC Trojans Receive 'Surprising' Ranking Before First AP Top-25 Poll

MORE: Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams Showing Continued Growth With Latest Move

Big Ten Team Odds to Make College Football Playoff

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last season, the Big Ten had four teams that made the inaugural 12-team playoff; the Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Indiana Hoosiers. In 2025, Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State all have favorable odds to make it back. 

DraftKings Sportsbook has Ohio State’s odds to make the playoff at -400, Oregon’s at -270, and Penn State’s at -350. 

USC Trojans Bounce Back 2025 Season?

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans have been a fringe bowl team the past two seasons. In 2023, USC went 7-5 in the regular season and won the Holiday Bowl. They followed this up in 2024 with a 6-6 season capped off with a Las Vegas Bowl win.

USC will kick off 2025 with a home game against the Missouri State Bears on August 30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

• 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.