Three Major Storylines Shaping USC Trojans' Season

Big Ten Media Days are on the horizon, and the USC Trojans enter the 2026 season with several major storylines surrounding the program as Lincoln Riley looks to change the narrative in Los Angeles.

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 season is right around the corner, and few programs are facing more pressure than the USC Trojans. Coach Lincoln Riley is heading into his fifth season at the helm in Los Angeles on a mission to bring the Trojans to the College Football Playoff.

Since Riley's arrival in late 2021, the expectation was that Riley would bring the Trojans back to national championship contention, and with the exception of his first season, in which he instantly flipped a 4–8 program into a national contender, the Trojans have been less than exciting.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In each season following Riley's debut, USC has dropped at least four games, repeatedly undermined by defensive liabilities and an inability to sustain momentum.

Heading into the 2026 season, it is more crucial than ever for Riley to fully change the narrative surrounding one of the most prominent football programs on the West Coast.

There are many questions surrounding the Trojans as they prepare for the upcoming season, and Big Ten Media Days will offer their first opportunity to address some of them, at least verbally. But the answers that matter most will come when USC finally takes the field.

Three Major Storylines Shaping USC Football’s 2026 Season

Can USC Find Its Next Dynamic Receiving Duo?

The Trojans lost their top two receivers from the 2025 season in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, meaning the offense must replace two of its biggest playmakers.

Lemon and Lane accounted for 128 receptions, 1,901 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025. Replacing nearly 2,000 receiving yards will be difficult. However, Lincoln Riley’s squad possesses the potential to compensate for the loss of the Trojans' dynamic duo.

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates with tight end Walker Lyons (85) after catching a 32-yard touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sophomore Tanook Hines is perhaps the most obvious candidate.

Hines finished 2025 with 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns while averaging an impressive 16.5 yards per catch. More importantly, he gained momentum toward the end of the season. Hines recorded 141 receiving yards against Oregon before exploding for another 163 yards in the Alamo Bowl.

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Tanook Hines (16) gestures after a reception against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If that momentum carries into 2026, Hines could quickly establish himself as Maiava's go-to target.

USC’s receiver room is deeper than just one name. Other names include NC State transfer Terrell Anderson, along with highly touted incoming freshmen such as Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley and Luc Weaver.

The Trojans have a proven deep-threat quarterback at the helm in Jayden Maiava. The next step will be finding reliable targets capable of replicating the success seen by Lemon and Lane in 2025.

Gary Patterson’s Defense Could Change USC’s Ceiling

One of the more interesting hires of the offseason was Hall of Fame coach Gary Patterson joining the Trojans as the defensive coordinator.

Just weeks before taking the job back in January, Patterson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 for his 21-year head coaching tenure at TCU (2000–2021). During his time with the Horned Frogs, he became the program's all-time winningest coach with 181 victories.

Oct 16, 2021; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

He also led the Horned Frogs to 11 seasons with at least 10 victories and built defenses that finished first nationally in total defense five different times.

Patterson could very well be the missing piece the Trojans needed to climb back into national prominence.

While USC’s defense took a step forward under D’Anton Lynn last season, key statistical flaws held the unit back. The Trojans allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 65.7 percent of their passes and gave up nearly 400 total yards per game on the road compared to just 308 at home.

Turning around a defense usually comes down to culture and discipline. Patterson is inheriting plenty of talent, but his main job will be instilling the toughness USC lacked down the stretch last fall. If he can eliminate the defensive miscommunications, tighten up the coverage and make the team more physical at the line of scrimmage, it completely changes the ceiling for USC's season.

USC’s Brutal Schedule Could Define the 2026 Season

Yet another big question for USC regards its strength of schedule. The Trojans' strength of schedule ranks inside the top 20 nationally at No. 19 and fourth in the Big Ten Conference, per ESPN’s College Football Power Index.

Although this certainly provides more challenges for the Trojans, particularly on the road where USC has historically struggled, it may also offer the biggest advantage as USC seeks to make its case for the College Football Playoff.

The Ducks end September with a marquee matchup at home vs. the Oregon Ducks in a game that could very well set the tone for the remainder of the season. The Trojans will then have the daunting task of commuting across the country to compete in one of the most hostile environments in all of college football, facing Penn State on Oct. 10 before a Halloween showdown hosting Ohio State in the Coliseum. Not to mention a matchup with the reigning national champion, the Indiana Hoosiers, on Nov. 14.

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans offensive lineman Micah Banuelos (59), quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and USC Trojans defensive end Jadyn Ramos (95) celebrate after defeating the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The schedule is a daunting one, but if the Trojans can win even just a few of these massive matchups, the CFP committee could view their record optimistically come Selection Sunday.

It’s a tale as old as time: the strength of schedule debate. While teams like Notre Dame can see their Playoff stock dinged by a lighter slate, a team like USC with a matching record would almost certainly get the nod over them thanks to the sheer gauntlet they have to survive.

So the question remains: does a top-tier strength of schedule do more to help USC’s Playoff case or hurt their record? It gives them maximum leverage against equal-record teams, but only if they can survive the physical grind to get there.

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