USC Trojans' Receive Surprising Ranking Following Signature Win Over Michigan

The USC Trojans captured a signature 31-13 win over the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. Following the win, where do the Trojans fall in the latest ESPN FPI Top 25? USC's next opponent, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, are above the Trojans.

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans beat the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines 31-13 on Saturday night, earning a signature Big Ten win. The win over Michigan also gave the Trojans a boost in their chances at the College Football Playoff and their ranking in the latest ESPN FPI Top 25.

USC Climbs In Latest ESPN FPI Rankings

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans running back King Miller (30) runs for a touchdown in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC jumped one spot in the ESPN FPI Top 25, checking in at No. 9 following the win over the Wolverines on Saturday night. With the win over Michigan, USC improves to 5-1 on the season heading into their matchup in South Bend against the No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

NEW: Updated ESPN FPI after week 7 of the College Football season📈📉https://t.co/gPIWuGIQfq pic.twitter.com/QGigiLxbzK

— On3 (@On3sports) October 12, 2025

Michigan, following its loss to USC, fell five spots in the ESPN FPI rankings to No. 17. The Wolverines' chances at the playoff took a huge hit in the loss to the Trojans, as Michigan will most likely need to win the rest of its games, including against No. 1 Ohio State, to make a case for a spot in the 12-team bracket.

Indiana Surges In ESPN FPI, Ohio State Remains at No. 1

Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Khobie Martin (28), defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe (17), wide receiver LeBron Bond (6) and defensive back D'Angelo Ponds (5) pose for a photo with their fans after defeating Oregon by the score of 30-20 at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Three Big Ten teams rank above USC in the ESPN FPI Top 25, with two of them being undefeated at 6-0, including No. 1 Ohio State and No. 7 Indiana. The Buckeyes remain at the top spot following their 34-16 win over the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini on the road.

Indiana jumps up to No. 2 following arguably their biggest win in program history, defeating the No. 3 Oregon Ducks 30-20 at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks fell three spots in the rankings to No. 5 following the loss.

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Four other Big Ten teams, along with Michigan, rank below USC in the ESPN FPI Top 25, including Penn State (No. 21), Washington (No. 22), and Nebraska (No. 23). The biggest surprise in the rankings is the Nittany Lions at No. 21. Ever since their heartbreaking overtime loss to Oregon in their annual whiteout game, Penn State has lost three straight games, with the latest falling 22-21 to Northwestern at home.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions' starting quarterback, Drew Allar, is now out for the season after suffering an injury in the loss to Northwestern. A season that began with National Championship hopes has now turned into a disaster for Penn State coach James Franklin.

USC Set To Face Another Major Test Against Notre Dame

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (wearing white visor) celebrates along with defensive end coach Shaun Nua after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Trojans have the opportunity to continue to surge in the ESPN FPI and build their case as a serious contender for the playoffs with a win over Notre Dame in week 8. USC hasn't beaten Notre Dame in South Bend since the 2011 season, so a win over the Fighting Irish would be massive for coach Lincoln Riley's team.

Notre Dame has a two-game winning streak against USC and leads the all-time series 50-37-5. The Trojans are looking to secure their first win against Notre Dame since 2022, when a Caleb Williams-led USC beat the Fighting Irish 38-27 at the Coliseum.