The final five-game stretch of the No. 19 USC Trojans' regular season schedule has arrived. With a 6-1 record following their signature 31-23 road win over the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium, the next five games will determine whether the Trojans make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history in their fifth season under coach Lincoln Riley.
Three of these five games include matchups against teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25: the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (Oct. 31), No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers (Nov. 14), and the No. 12 UCLA Bruins (Nov. 28).
Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks off the field after the game against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Opportunities for more signature wins remain on the Trojans' schedule as Riley's record against Top 25 teams will be put to the test during the final stretch of the season. As the Trojans enter their first of two bye weeks this season, here's how the final five games of USC's schedule will go.
Oct 3, 2026; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell prior to the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Following their first bye week, the Trojans face another challenging road test against coach Luke Fickell's Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Similar to their road win over the Nittany Lions, the Trojans' matchup against the Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium again comes down to the fourth quarter.
Coach Luke Fickell has responded to the pressure he's facing at Wisconsin as the Badgers are currently 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play ahead of their primetime road matchup against the Bruins.
Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph will challenge Gary Patterson's USC defense. Through five games this season, Joseph leads Wisconsin in passing and rushing. Joseph has 1,132 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions has added 262 more yards on the ground and three touchdowns.
With the game set to be under the lights in primetime on NBC, this matchup will be another challenge for the Trojans and one they will pass to move to 7-1 before their anticipated showdown at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Buckeyes.
Jeremiah Smith will be stationed at the top of many teams' draft boards. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Trojans' Halloween matchup against the Buckeyes will be arguably their toughest test of the season. After falling to the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 26 at the Coliseum, USC hopes to upset Ohio State.
While the Trojans' offense will have success against the Buckeyes, the biggest key is whether USC's defense can hold Ohio State's offense led by quarterback Julian Sayin. Front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will have success against the Trojans' struggling secondary, leading the Buckeyes to a road win at the Coliseum.
Oct 10, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Josh Hoover (10) passes against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After their second bye week, the Trojans will travel to Bloomington to face the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers, and the defending champs will defeat them. While the Hoosiers have shown flaws this season with close calls against the No. 25 Northwestern Wildcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers, coach Curt Cignetti's squad is still considered among the top teams in the Big Ten and in college football.
The Hoosiers' offense, led by quarterback Josh Hoover and a talented wide receiver duo of Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker, will be too much for the Trojans' defense, making key plays to pull away late in the second half.
Oct 10, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) celebrates his touchdown run with Maryland Terrapins offensive lineman Michael Hershey (61) during the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Trojans will send out their seniors in style at the Coliseum with a dominating win over the Maryland Terrapins. This season, the Terrapins are currently among the worst teams in the Big Ten at 2-4 overall and are 0-3 in Big Ten play.
The Terrapins' three Big Ten losses to Ohio State, UCLA, and Nebraska have all come by double digits. When the season ends, or even before that, the Terrapins will likely dismiss coach Mike Locksley.
May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 2026 edition of the Crosstown Rivalry between the Trojans and the Bruins will be one of the most anticipated matchups in recent memory , as both teams are likely to be ranked.
The Bruins have been one of the greatest stories in college football this season as coach Bob Chesney turned around a three-win team from a year ago into a CFP contender. Despite all that success, the Bruins lost star quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending knee injury. Because of this, the Trojans will end the regular season on a high note and beat the Bruins to retain the Victory Bell for the third consecutive season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Predicting USC Trojans' Five Remaining Games on the Schedule .
