Three Keys to Success for USC Against Top Big Ten Opponents

With the USC Trojans set for a crucial season, coach Lincoln Riley must get USC prepared for what seems to be one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten.

Based on the tough schedule, there are a few keys for the Trojans to find success in their toughest games during the 2026 season.

Three Keys USC Trojans Schedule Next Season Scoring Defense Explosive Offense Third Down Defense Big Ten Lincoln Riley — Oct 2, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson reacts during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

USC’s Defense Against Oregon’s Offense

USC’s first test of the season comes in a home game against the Oregon Ducks at home in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Specifically, this game could very well come down to USC’s defense against Oregon’s offense. Last season, USC allowed 23.0 points per game, ranking 51st in the country for scoring defense. In 2025, Oregon’s offense ranked 10th in the nation as the Ducks averaged 36.9 points per game.

Heading into next season, Oregon seems to have one of the top rosters in the country, headlined by the return of quarterback Dane Moore, who has an opportunity to make a run at winning the Heisman Trophy. With the return of Moore, the Ducks have a veteran player at quarterback and may have an advantage against most teams with the experience that he has.

However, the Trojans could pose a tough test for Moore with several additions through the transfer portal and high school recruiting, in addition to bringing in Gary Patterson to be the defensive coordinator. Patterson has spent most of his coaching career with TCU, where he built a consistent defense with his 4-2-5 scheme.

With Patterson heading into his first season with USC, he could make a major impact with the ability to help this group improve from a season ago. Against a team like Oregon, led by coach Dan Lanning, the Trojans must have a great game plan on both sides of the ball.

With Patterson leading the defense, it seems that USC could be in a position to put heavy pressure on Oregon’s offense and potentially lead the Trojans to a key Big Ten victory.

USC’s Explosive Plays Against Ohio State’s Defense

Later in the season, USC has another tough game as the Trojans match up with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In the 2025 season, Ohio State had an incredible defense and, in many cases, completely shut down its opponents. Even with several key players leaving for the NFL, coach Ryan Day should have the Buckeyes in a great position to be a solid defensive unit once again.

On the offensive side of the ball, USC was very productive the entire season and specifically in the passing game behind quarterback Jayden Maiava. Against a defense like Ohio State’s, Maiava will need to make plays consistently and may need to find a way to create explosive plays to break the game open.

One specific area that Ohio State excelled in last season was limiting explosive plays, as the Buckeyes allowed 101 scrimmage plays of 10 or more yards, which was the best in the entire country. In 2025, the Trojans did a great job generating explosive plays as USC generated 222 plays of 10 or more yards, ranking sixth in the nation.

For USC to take the next step as a team, Maiava and the offense must find a way to create big plays against the Buckeyes. The ability to create explosive plays at home could help USC to get the crowd involved and put heavy pressure on Ohio State.

If the Trojans can create the explosive plays, USC should be positioned well to have a great offensive performance and potentially earn an important victory, which could help the Trojans to get even closer to a College Football Playoff berth.

USC’s Third-Down Defense Against Indiana’s Offense

Following the matchup with Ohio State, USC will have a bye week before going on the road to take on the Indiana Hoosiers and coach Curt Cignetti.

This appears to be USC’s toughest road game with Indiana coming off a dominant national championship run and looking to repeat. Without a doubt, the Hoosiers are one of the more disciplined teams in the country, and under Cignetti have made very few critical mistakes. In this game against Indiana, the margin of error for USC is very thin, which is why the Trojans must win one key area against the Hoosiers on the road.

The key area that USC must win is the ability to stop Indiana’s offense on third down. Last season, the Hoosiers were the best third-down offense in the country as they converted on 56.5 percent of their third-down opportunities. On defense, the Trojans allowed opponents to convert on 40.38 percent of third downs, ranking 82nd in the country.

One of the biggest factors in this matchup is the Hoosiers’ new quarterback, Josh Hoover, who transfers to Indiana after playing for the TCU Horned Frogs in 2025. With Hoover running Indiana’s offense, it will be interesting to see if he can have similar success to Fernanado Mendoza and lead the Hoosiers to once again being one of the better offenses in the Big Ten.

For USC, Patterson could help to significantly limit Indiana’s offense with his significant amount of experience as a defensive coordinator. Patterson’s ability to adjust throughout this game, especially on third down, could be a major key to whether the Trojans can generate consistent stops or if USC struggles to limit Indiana’s offense.

In this matchup between USC and Indiana, the matchup between the Trojans ' defense and the Hoosiers offense on third down could be the difference in who wins the game, and potentially could determine one of the spots in the Big Ten championship game, in addition to how the College Football Playoff shakes out.

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