USC's Post-Spring Ranking Displays Clear Separation in Big Ten

Where do the USC Trojans rank in CBS Sports’ post-spring college football rankings as the 2026 season approaches?

USC Trojans Ranked No. 14 in Post-Spring Rankings

USC Trojans Post Spring Ranking Lincoln Riley Big Ten oregon ohio state indiana schedule college football playoff national — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts 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

Chip Patterson of CBS Sports revealed their post-spring rankings from 1-138 for the 2026 college football season. USC is ranked No. 14. The top ranked team is the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Trojans are the fourth highest ranked Big Ten team. Here are all three of the teams ranked ahead of them.

No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 3 Oregon Ducks
No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers

USC then comes in at No. 14. The next team in the Big Ten is the Michigan Wolverines ranked No. 16.

The Trojans are coming off a 2025 season winning nine games, which wasn’t enough to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. All three Big Ten teams ranked ahead of them did make the playoff. Indiana ended up winning the national championship. There's a clear separation between that top tier of Big Ten teams and then USC.

The ranking of Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, and USC closely reflects what the betting odds say about their chances to win the Big Ten title and the national championship.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Ohio State is the favorite to win the Big Ten title with odds of +180. Indiana is second at +250. Oregon its third at +260. USC is fourth at +1400.

As for the national title, Ohio State is the overall favorite in the country at +650. Indiana is tied for third at +750 and Oregon is fifth at +800. USC is tied for the 13th best odds at +3500. For the Trojans, the goal should first be getting to the playoff and competing for a spot in the Big Ten title game.

Trojans to Face the Best in Big Ten

If USC feels like they should be ranked higher than the three Big Ten teams ahead of them, they will have their opportunity to prove that on the field. USC has regular season matchups with Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana on their 2026 schedule.

Sept. 26 vs. Oregon
Oct. 31 vs. Ohio State
Nov. 14 at Indiana

The Trojans have an overall record of 35-18 under coach Lincoln Riley since he took over in 2022. USC won double digit games in his first season but have yet to get back to that level. When USC hired Riley following the 2021 college football season, Riley was just coming off of leading the Oklahoma Sooners to three playoff appearances. That was also when the playoff was just four teams and not 12 like it is now.

Riley is now in year five with USC and the time to get this program to the playoff is now, especially with the format being expanded to 12 teams for a third season. Will 2026 be the year USC gets over the hump and into the playoff?

Their 2026 season will kick off at home on Aug. 29 against the San Jose State Spartans.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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