The No. 17 USC Trojans have played in some big matchups this season, standing at 8-3, going 6-2 in the Big Ten. One of the biggest games of the season for USC w

If USC beats UCLA next week, it will have nine wins. That’s better than most rational observers would have expected.

USC still has a rivalry game against UCLA next week and a bowl game sometime in December, but the meaningful portion of the Trojans’ 2025 season came to a close when Oregon put the finishing touches on a 42-27 win in Autzen Stadium and knocked USC out of the College Football Playoff picture.

The No. 17 USC Trojans are coming off their third loss of the season to No. 6 Oregon to fall 8-3 on the season, and lose sight of a College Football Playoff bid

Riley's Trojans are coming off a season-ending loss at the hands of now-No. 6 Oregon, losing on the road to the Ducks last week, 42-27. The loss dropped USC to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten play and has it ranked No. 17 in the country.

The USC Trojans were on the brink of a College Football Playoff appearance in Year 4 under Head Coach Lincoln Riley, heading into Eugene, Oregon, to face their bitter rival, the Ducks, in their first rivalry game in Big Ten competition on Saturday.

USC faces a tricky path to the CFP even if it wins out, largely because of its October loss at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are currently in the field, and if both teams finish undefeated, that head-to-head defeat could create a dilemma for the selection committee, potentially leaving the Trojans on the outside despite a strong finish.

The coach, as well as his veteran players, have had to shepherd some of the less-experienced Trojans into college football this season.

For those who attended the Oregon Duck's 42-27 win against the USC Trojans at Autzen Stadium, the passion between both teams throughout the game was obvious as