USC Trojans Wild Card Team for 2025 College Football Playoff?

"Avoiding Ohio State and Penn State might be the jumpstart this program desperately needs. On the other hand, a third-straight letdown season might be the beginning of the end for Lincoln Riley's tenure on Los Angeles," wrote Bahns about the Trojans.

With the provisions and expansion of the College Football Playoff, as well as new and improved conferences, the stakes for a trip to the playoff are much higher.

The Trojans enter a pivotal season to help get them back on track as an elite competitor in college football. With the mix of offensive talent, improvement in the trenches and coaching pedigree the Trojans could get back in the 10-win column – if they can win key games and flip the one-score losses. 

In their first season in the Big Ten, more games were determined by one-score losses, narrowly securing them a bowl berth—where they went on to defeat SEC opponent Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl.

USC went 1-5 with one-score losses, but if Riley and and his team can reverse their record and capitalize on those important plays down to the wire, the Trojans could be a force to be reckoned with. 

They enter the 2025 season with a wide range of possibilities and higher expectations after last season. The USC that the college football world knows produces Heisman Trophy winners and competes at the biggest stage consistently, which hasn't been the case the last two seasons. 

If there’s one thing college football fans are aware of – Riley cannot afford another 7-5 season with USC. 

This off-season, the Trojans have relied heavily on their incoming recruits and their elite transfer class they've built for this 2025 team. In the backfield, USC added two new transfers in Hutchinson community college transfer Waymond Jordan and New Mexico State transfer Eli Sanders – two running backs who have good resumes who can set the bar high for the Trojans this season. 

The offense features a slew of veterans and transfers on their roster. Despite freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet making strides in his first season with the Trojans, quarterback Jayden Maiava is on track to be the present-day signal caller. 

Maiava showed flashes late in the season after former USC quarterback Miller Moss was benched following a 4-5 record to start their season. Now in the starting spot, he has an ample receiving core he can maintain and build all season long in wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon and tight end Walker Lyons. 

Lemon and Lane, two of USC’s most reliable receivers, have the potential to build their draft stock in 2026. Lyons should also be a key part to the offense after strong improvement in spring practices. 

For the defense, the defensive line room is deep with potential to soar, with the linebackers having a thinner room. Linebacker Eric Gentry is a safe bet to start, but he did miss multiple games last season due to injuries. 

The Trojans have games that are must-wins at Illinois, at Michigan and at Notre Dame in order to be playoff contenders. They have all of the pieces to be an elite team, but needs to be executed to find postseason success.  

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