USC's playoff hopes in doubt after loss to Wisconsin

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 25 Oct, 22:43 · Archive

USC lost 24-7 to Wisconsin on Saturday, leaving the Trojans needing to win out against a schedule including three top-10 teams to make the College Football Playoff.

USC lost 24-7 to Wisconsin on Saturday, a defeat that New York Post describes as the moment 'USC's season went to die'. The Trojans, ranked 16th, dropped to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten conference, leaving them in seventh place in the standings. They scored their fewest points of any team coach Lincoln Riley has led in his ten seasons as a head coach.

With four games remaining in the regular season, USC must win all of them to have a realistic chance of reaching the College Football Playoff. Their remaining schedule includes three top-10 teams: Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA. The New York Post reports that USC cannot afford another loss.

Fox News notes that 2026 was widely viewed as a turning point for the programme, with expectations to either win 10 games and make the Playoff or 'bust'. USC brought in the number one recruiting class in the country and brought back starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, entering his third year in the programme. Fox News also reports that new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson was hired to improve the defence.

How it is being reported

• Legendary USC receiver unloads on ‘f—ing joke’ Trojans after Lincoln Riley’s latest disasterThe pressure is mounting on USC head coach Lincoln Riley, and the results aren’t meeting expectations. After the Trojans suffered a devastating loss on the road to the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night, Keyshawn Johnson released a 2 two-minute, 42-second video of him calling USC a “F—ing joke.” Keyshawn Johnson calls USC a “F—ing joke”...New York Post · 25 Oct, 23:18
• After yet another inexcusable loss to Wisconsin, the Lincoln Riley era at USC looks to be nearing an endUSC's shocking loss at Wisconsin exposed familiar Lincoln Riley-era problems, raising serious questions about the Trojans' college football playoff hopes.Fox News · 25 Oct, 22:31
• USC coach Lincoln Riley’s excuses are more tiresome than his lossesIt’s always something with this guy. A sloppy showing against winless Rutgers was dismised as the perils of playing on the road. A loss to Oregon and its backup quarterback was shrugged off as falling short against a superb team. A comeback against a Washington team down to its fourth-string running back was hailed as...New York Post · 25 Oct, 18:43

In this story: USC · Wisconsin · Lincoln Riley · Jayden Maiava · Gary Patterson · Ohio State · Indiana · UCLA

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem