USC’s Ohio State Showdown Looks Like College Football Playoff Test

There has been plenty of buzz surrounding USC football this offseason, and for good reason. Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has quietly spent the last several months constructing what many believe could become one of the most dangerous rosters in the nation.

USC is the Trojan Horse of college football in 2026: a program built in plain sight, slightly underestimated in its timing, but loaded with the kind of talent that could reshape the national landscape once the season fully opens.

USC Trojans Tanook Hines Big Ten College Football — Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Tanook Hines (16) gestures after a reception against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

According to 247Sports, USC currently holds the No. 5 overall recruiting class in the nation for 2026 when incoming transfers are included. The Trojans also sit at No. 1 nationally in high school recruiting rankings while adding transfer portal talent to reload the roster. USC is not simply trying to compete in the Big Ten Conference. The Trojans are trying to build a national championship contender capable of surviving one of the toughest schedules in the country.

That challenge will undoubtedly test USC immediately.

According to CBS Sports, the Trojans own the No. 8 toughest schedule in college football entering the 2026 season. USC will face five opponents ranked in CBS Sports’ post-spring Top 25 including No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 3 Oregon Ducks, No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers, No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions, and No. 21 Washington Huskies.

High risk, high reward perfectly describes the gauntlet ahead for USC, but nowhere is that opportunity bigger than October 31 when the Trojans host Ohio State inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith Carnell Tate Big Ten College Football — Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Halloween showdown is exciting for a multitude of reasons and could quickly develop into one of the defining games of the entire college football season.

USC vs. Ohio State at the Coliseum Could Shape the CFP Race

By the time Ohio State arrives in Los Angeles, USC will already be battle-tested after matchups against Washington, Oregon, Penn State, and Wisconsin. This will not be an early-season measuring stick. It will likely be a heavyweight fight between two teams in peak midseason form. Ohio State, which CBS Sports ranks as having the third toughest schedule in the country, will enter Saturday’s matchup fresh off a matchup with the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers.

The timing of this Buckeyes-Trojans matchup matters even more considering the first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2026-27 season are expected to release just days later. Historically, the committee places enormous value on how teams are playing late in the year, and a marquee victory in late October carries significantly more weight than a September blowout against a lesser opponent.

Southern California USC Football Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava Big Ten CFP — Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This matchup could very well become an elimination game for the College Football Playoff, or at the very least one that holds major postseason implications.

However, the stakes stretch far beyond just the playoff race.

Recruiting Implications

While the focus remains on the 2026 season, the recruiting battle for 2027 adds yet another layer to the matchup. College football recruiting has become an arms race, and this game could act as the closing argument for several uncommitted five-star prospects watching from the sidelines.

Southern California USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley College Football CFP Recruiting — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (right) is interviewed by NBC Sports reporter Kathryn Tappen after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ohio State currently holds a commitment from five-star EDGE David Jacobs while USC recently landed five-star EDGE Mekai Brown, and the race for many of the nation’s top 2027 prospects is only expected to intensify. A victory for USC would not only validate Lincoln Riley’s rebuilding process, but it could also make a statement about West Coast football as a whole.

Programs like Oregon have already shown recruits they can stay on the West Coast and still compete for national championships in the modern era of college football. USC now has an opportunity to firmly establish itself in that same conversation.

A win over Ohio State inside the Coliseum would send a powerful message to the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes that the biggest games in college football no longer belong exclusively to the SEC or Midwest.

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