USC drops a few spots in CFP rankings but top-15 finish is still in play

The USC Trojans have secured the No. 17 position in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. Despite their loss to Oregon, the Trojans experienced a minimal drop from their previous ranking of No. 15. This suggests that the committee may not consider a road loss to Oregon as a significant setback.

The Trojans will carry this ranking into their upcoming weekend matchup against UCLA. This season marks a significant improvement compared to last season. It seems the Trojans will be ranked in every CFP ranking release of the 2025 season. This is a far cry from where the 7-6 Trojans stood at this time last season. 

Based on the current rankings, the Trojans have secured a total of one ranked victory, which was a commanding win against the now No. 15-ranked Michigan team earlier in the season. Notably, two of USC’s losses have been against two top-six teams, Notre Dame and Oregon, both of which were away games. 

It’s evident that the current rankings don’t provide much room for the Trojans to improve their standing. However, based on the results this weekend and in the upcoming conference championships, USC has a chance to climb a few spots.

This could happen if they manage to defeat UCLA in the Battle for the Victory Bell during the regular season finale. Despite their third loss of the season, which eliminates them from the 12-team playoff, USC could still find themselves in a position to secure a highly competitive bowl game against another ranked opponent.