USC is now 8-2 on the season, and could be making a run at the College Football Playoffs. The Trojans are coming off an ugly victory over Iowa, and it was further proof that the team can win ugly games now. Lincoln Riley having a team that is capable of winning these ugly games will be what gets them a CFP berth.
The Trojans have had a solid season. They opened the year 4-0 before a two-point loss to Illinois on the road. After defeating Michigan, they would fall to Notre Dame 34-24. Since then, it has been three straight wins, including a road win over Nebraska by just four points. They also have wins over Northwestern and Iowa.
The rest of the schedule could result in some ugly games. In Week 13, USC hits the road to face Oregon. They will then host rival UCLA to end the campaign.
The Trojans can run the ball now
Lincoln Riley finally has a ground game with USC now. The team is eighth in the nation in points per game and third in yards per game. This is not abnormal for a Riley offense. They are also 84th in the nation in rushing attempts per game, again, not out of the norm for a Riley run offense. What is different is the fact that they are ninth in yards per attempt and 24th in rushing yards per game.
In 2022, the first year under Riley at USC, the team was ranked 51st in the nation in rushing. They would regress in 2023, sitting 87th in rushing yards per game, averaging nearly 40 yards less per game than in 2022, and finishing the season averaging just 49 yards per game on the ground in their final three games. The Trojans showed slight improvement in 2024, adding seven yards per game on the ground and sitting 79th.
This season, USC has gone from 145.6 yards per game in 2024 to 191.1 yards per game in 2025. This is led by King Miller. He has run 99 times for 719 yards and five touchdowns on the season. In addition to Miller, Waymond Jordan has also run for five scores with 576 yards, plus the team has added six rushing touchdowns from Jayden Maiava. The ability to keep the ball on the ground and control the game will be huge for USC winning close games, and will help them make a playoff run.
USC has an improved defense
The Trojans and Lincoln Riley finally have a solid defense as well this year. In Riley's first season with the Trojans, USC was 94th in total defense. The team dropped to 121st in 2023, before moving to 58th the next season. The defense has continued to improve this year. USC is currently 31st in the nation in opponent points per game and 36th in opponent yards per game. Further, they have been dominant in the red zone. The defense is holding opponents to just 70.97 percent scoring, which ranks seventh in FBS.
They are also doing a great job of both getting to the quarterback and creating turnovers. USC is 27th in interception rate, 29th in takeaways per game, and 22nd in sack rate. Eric Gentry has been a major part of this turnaround on defense. He leads the team in tackles, while having three sacks and five forced fumbles. Meanwhile, edge rushers have been great. Anthony Lucas, Kamery Crawford, and Braylan Shelby all have at least three sacks this year, while getting consistent pressure on the quarterback.
In the secondary, Bishop Fitzgerald has been the star. The safety has broken up three passes, picked off five, and even scored once this year. With the ability to stop the run and create turnovers, the defense can keep USC in games and allow them a chance to win over anyone they face.
Lincoln Riley is winning close games
Lincoln Riley has struggled to win close games. At USC, he was just 8-8 in one-score games before this year. Further, the team struggled more on the road. They also did better in one-score games when scoring over 35 points. Under Riley, before this season, they were 4-2 when they scored over 35 points in one-score contests. They were just 4-6 when scoring under 35 points.
This year, USC is 2-1 in one-score games, but all three of them saw the Trojans score under 35 points. In the two wins, they have scored just a total of 47 points, but the defense held the opponents to a combined 38. This is a departure from Trojan teams of the past. With the fact that they have to face Oregon this week, the ability to keep the game low scoring and still win could work in favor of USC.
USC is currently ranked 15th in the CFP rankings. The easiest path to the playoffs is to win the Big Ten. They would need to win out and get some help to make that happen. USC would need Michigan to beat Ohio State to create a three-way tie in the conference, assuming Michigan does not lose to Maryland.
They will still have a chance to make it with two more wins, though. It would give them a win over Oregon and have the Trojans at 10-2. USC will still need some help to pass other teams, but they can still make it, and with how the team is winning, making it to 10-2 is a real possibility. If they are a 10-2 team, with one loss being to a fellow playoff contender on the road. That could easily be enough for the committee to give Lincoln Riley and his team the nod for the playoffs.
