The No. 19 USC Trojans remain one of the biggest brands in college football and have been under the public eye for every win and loss. Now that they’ve reached the midseason point, here’s a look back at their past games and how much views the Trojans have been generating.
The USC Trojans have 29 former players on activel NFL rosters with a handful more currently on practice squads, but Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold arguably have the biggest spotlights on them mainly thanks to the position they play but also because of the success enjoyed by both.
The No. 19 USC Trojans are entering the bye week with a 6-1 record and a College Football Playoff path that is firmly within reach. However, despite the promising start, questions surrounding coach Lincoln Riley and his program have followed USC into yet another season.
Winning on the road in the Big Ten is hard. Winning in a hostile road environment like Penn State that hosted a record breaking crowd of 114, 419 for its annual “White Out” game is even harder.
The No. 19 USC Trojans are one of the few ranked teams on a bye during week 7, meaning USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans have time to rest and recover while also preparing for the rest of the season.
The No. 19 USC Trojans stayed alive in the 2026 College Football Playoff race by beating Penn State. That Oct. 10 victory handed USC a 17.2 percent chance to land in the 12-team postseason for 2026, according to ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) rankings.
Through seven games, redshirt sophomore running back King Miller has emerged as the No. 19 USC Trojans’ lead rusher – 114 carries (No. 8 in the nation) for 595 yards (No.
The No. 19 USC Trojans College Football Playoff dreams are still very much alive. With a 6-1 record, the Trojans enter their first bye week of the season fresh off one of their most signature wins in their five-year tenure under coach Lincoln Riley, beating the Penn State Nittany Lions 31-23 at Beaver Stadium.
Saturday, Oct. 17 presents one first for the No. 19 USC Trojans. There's no road trip, or even a home game. USC finally takes a breather following a rigid seven-game stretch.
True freshman Trent Mosley jumped out of the gate early as the No. 1 receiver in the Trojans’ offense. Through the first three games, Mosley led the receiving corps with 13 receptions, 255 yards and four touchdowns.
The pivotal fourth quarter between No. 19 USC and Penn State decided the back-and-forth game. Plenty of the credit went to USC safety Christian Pierce’s forced fumble, which allowed the Trojans to recover the ball, run out the clock, and win the game 31-23.
No. 19 USC Trojans continue to ride the vibe of their huge win over Penn State. Following practice on Oct. 13, senior quarterback Jayden Maiava opened up about the win – preparing for the White Out crowd, a true freshman lineman stepping up minutes before kickoff, the return of receiver Trent Mosley and coach Lincoln Riley’s plan to seal the win.
USC receiver Tanook Hines was asked heading into the Penn State game in week 6 what stood out about their secondary and didn’t mince words. “Nothing much for real.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has struggled on the road throughout his career at USC. But against Penn State in week 6, the Trojans quarterback flipped the narrative and delivered his best performance away from the Coliseum.
USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley made a splash when he brought former TCU head coach Gary Patterson out of retirement and hired him to be USC's defensive coordinator, but that splash didn't necessarily translate onto the field during the Trojans' first few games of the 2026 season.
Coach Lincoln Riley and the No. 19 USC Trojans defied the odds on Saturday night, securing their most signature win of the season with a 31-23 road victory
Multiple players stepped up big amid the noise inside Beaver Stadium for the No. 19 USC Trojans. Coach Lincoln Riley once again saw poise out of quarterback Jayden Maiava, plus saw the Trojans defense come up with needed stops again.
The No. 19 USC Trojans' defensive coordinator Gary Patterson made a rare media appearance on Oct. 12 for Trojans Live. During his segment, the veteran coach opened up about the loss to the Oregon Ducks, how his move to the booth helped the defense, the strength of the defense and how important it is for the defense to close out games.
The No. 19 USC Trojans have their playoff hopes back in their own hands, but keeping them there is another story. The Trojans enter the bye week with some much-needed momentum after a 31-23 road win over Penn State.
It had been three long weeks since the No. 19 Trojans endured a major hole, missing in their receiving unit. That missing piece was none other than freshman receiver Trent Mosley.
The No. 19 USC Trojans silenced all the doubters in Week 6 when they came into Beaver Stadium, tuned out the White Out crowd and beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 31-23.
State College — Lincoln Riley entered his fifth season as the USC head coach with an immense amount of pressure. The noise around Riley’s tenure only ramped up after a loss to West Coast rival to Oregon on Sept.
Lincoln Riley officially appears to have jumped the shark. No. 19 USC played on Saturday against unranked Penn State. The two Big Ten rivals met at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa.
Riley is 39-19 in his fifth season in L.A., but there were far greater expectations when he shockingly left the Oklahoma Sooners to come take the job in sunny Southern California.
Year 5 was supposed to be different for the USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley.
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