Why USC's Loss To Oregon Stings More Than Others

The No. 15 USC Trojans were underdogs on the road against the No. 7 Oregon Ducks, and any hopes of the Trojans sneaking into the College Football Playoff have vanished. Saturday's game had CFP stakes, but it was also an opportunity for both teams to make a statement as the top team on the West Coast.

USC coach Lincoln Riley and general manager Chad Bowden have the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country, according to Rivals, but the Ducks are not far behind. Oregon's class is ranked No. 3 in the nation by Rivals.

USC Trojans lincoln riley oregon ducks dan lanning big ten college football playoff recruiting class west coast jayden maiava — Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq hurdles over USC cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Adding insult to injury, Oregon defensive lineman Bear Alexander and offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon, both transfers from USC, were two of the Ducks' four captains for the game. Another captain for Oregon was Southern California native and Ducks outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei.

Meanwhile, the Ducks played Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," a song often used by teams in Los Angeles, in Autzen Stadium after every Oregon touchdown. On Sunday, Oregon's social media team released a short video with highlights from the win over USC, and the Ducks' video team set the video to Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately."

The Trojans have lost their last four against Oregon, and USC has yet to make the College Football Playoff since the new format started with the 2014 season.

After the game, Riley talked about his team getting over the hump to become a national title contender:

“Hell of a battle. Our guys fought like crazy. Obviously did it very short-handed and just continued to go and gave ourselves some pretty cool opportunities and just weren’t quite able to get over the hump there," Riley said.

"We’re right there. I mean, this was two heavyweight teams going out. Two good football teams right here. These two teams won a lot of games. Yeah, I mean, we’re playing good enough right now, what we’re, you know, a sequence like that from beating anybody," he continued.

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Trojans fans have heard Riley say that his team is "close" after big losses, and USC has made considerable strides in the 2025 season. The bigger issue is that Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks are much closer than Riley and company.

Both teams are dealing with injuries, but the Ducks' depth shined on Saturday while the Trojans gave up an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Oregon quarterback finished with 257 passing yards and two touchdowns as the Ducks' balanced attack controlled the game. On the other side, USC's offense became one-dimensional, rushing for 1.9 yards per attempt.

The Ducks have yet to win a national title, but Oregon won the Big Ten in 2024 and are primed for another CFP appearance after beating USC. Lanning and his staff have also proven their ability to reload and sustain success. Can the same be said for USC?