Head Coach: Lincoln Riley
2025 Record: 9-4 (7-2 Big Ten)
Quick 2025 Recap
USC easily started 4-0 with wins against Missouri State, Georgia Southern, Purdue, and Michigan State. The Trojans fell to Illinois in their first real test of the season on a last-minute field goal after coming back from 14 down in the final quarter to take the lead.
After the bye week, USC answered with a decisive 31-13 win over Michigan at home. Notre Dame beat USC for the third straight season the following week in South Bend. The Trojans won three straight games in early November against Nebraska, Northwestern, and Iowa to move to 8-2. A 42-27 loss to Oregon knocked them out of playoff contention, but USC was able to finish the regular season with a solid 29-10 win over crosstown rival UCLA.
TCU defeated USC 30-27 in the Alamo Bowl in overtime.
Offensive Player to Watch
QB Jayden Maiava
Maiava led the Big Ten in passing yards in 2025. Most projections have him as a Day 2 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Lincoln Riley is well-known for developing quarterbacks, and Penn State will have a tough time trying to slow down the USC passing attack. Jakobi Lane and Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon are both off to the NFL, leaving sophomore Tanook Hines (561 yards, 2 TD) as the team’s leading returning receiver. USC brought in one of the best recruiting classes at wide receiver, so someone is likely to emerge as a top target for Maiava. While he was nearly perfect at home, Maiava threw at least one interception in every road game USC played in 2025 and struggled against Notre Dame and Nebraska.
Defensive Player to Watch
DT Jahkeem Stewart
Stewart came to USC in 2025 as a highly touted five-star prospect and did not disappoint. In 11 games, he had 7.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2025. Stewart is a strong presence on the interior defensive line, and his development will be important for USC to compete against the toughest offenses on their schedule. The Trojans should have one of the best defensive lines in the Big Ten. If they can consistently get pressure on good quarterbacks, USC will be a tough out in conference play.
USC Wins If…
USC nearly beat Penn State in the teams’ only meeting to date in the Lincoln Riley era. A tough 2024 Penn State defense gave up 7.1 yards per play against USC, the defense’s worst output of the season. USC wins this game if an experienced Jayden Maiava can take advantage of an untested Penn State defense and the offensive line wins the line of scrimmage against Penn State’s defensive line.
Penn State Wins If…
This game is a clear frontrunner to be the White Out game with no other ranked teams on the home slate. If Maiava’s road struggles continue in a tough environment, the Penn State secondary is likely to make a play or two that can swing a close game. Gary Patterson should keep USC’s defense solid, but until I see otherwise, defense will still be USC’s weakness in big games. Penn State will need to win the line of scrimmage and sustain drives to keep USC’s offense off the field.