USC will have to live up to the endorsement it received from the preseason coaches' poll

The No. 14 seems to be a theme for USC football in the early part of this season. Not only does the Trojans' ultra-talented signal-caller, Jayden Maiava, don the cardinal and gold number 14 jersey, but the inaugural 2026 coaches poll by USA Today has ranked the Trojans at No. 14 to start the season.

This ranking is seven spots better than the final iteration of the very same poll last season. The Trojans are sandwiched between LSU and BYU, which replaced USC on Notre Dame's 2026 schedule.

USC will have a navigate a challenge Big 10 slate to stay in playoff contention

By now, it is very clear that the Trojans play an incredibly tough schedule, and that sentiment is echoed in the eyes of the coaches. In total, the Trojans play five ranked opponents. Three of the five are in the top six of this ranking, with Ohio State and Oregon claiming the top two spots, and Indiana making up the third.

As if that weren't enough, all of their ranked opponents are solidly in the top 25, with Washington—their long-time conference rival—checking in as the lowest-ranked opponent at No. 19, alongside Penn State at No. 17.

The Trojans have their work cut out for them, but this is exactly what the program and fans expected when USC joined the best conference in the nation. There will be substantial heavyweight battles this season, and it appears more than half of their conference slate will have significant implications for the College Football Playoff.

"Every year I expect to win, I expect us to win. I expect us to compete for and win championships. That doesn't change," Lincoln Riley said during Big 10 Media Days last week. "I mean, the only two places that I've been a head coach at were blue blood schools that have the highest of expectations. Honestly, I've really not known anything different. We're a product of our own experiences. That's been mine."

Another fascinating note that speaks to the absolute depth of the conference and the Trojans' schedule is that, if these rankings hold, USC will play five ranked teams spanning from Sept. 26 versus Oregon until Nov. 14 at Indiana. Wisconsin would be the lone exception.

The Trojans kick off the seaon on Aug. 29 against San Jose State.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow