USC football has tough road ahead with 2026 Big Ten schedule

The USC football team will play three Big Ten teams that finished in the top five of the AP Top 25 rankings in 2026: defending national champion Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State.

Oregon and Ohio State – which finished No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, in the final rankings – will visit the Coliseum in the coming season, according to the 2026 Big Ten schedule that was released on Tuesday afternoon.

The Trojans lost to the Ducks in 2025 in a game that essentially eliminated them from contention for a spot in the 12-team CFP, but they’ll have a rematch on Sept. 26 in USC’s Big Ten home opener.

The Oct. 31 game will mark the first time USC has played Ohio State since 2017, when the Trojans lost to Buckeyes, 24-7, in the Cotton Bowl. The series is rife with history, however, and USC is 13-10-1 against Ohio State. The two teams have played each other in the Rose Bowl game seven times.

The Trojans will be on the road when they play Indiana and 2025 National Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti. USC is 4-0 against Indiana but hasn’t played the Hoosiers since 2014 and hasn’t traveled to Bloomington since 1981.

USC will travel to Penn State on Oct. 10, where the Trojans will take on new head coach Matt Campbell and defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who left his post as the Trojans’ defensive coordinator this December.

Although the Nittany Lions finished 3-6 in Big Ten play last season, they still had the second-highest game attendance nationally in 2025. Just over 107,000 fans packed into Beaver Stadium per game, making it one of the most difficult college football stadiums to play in.

USC’s Big Ten schedule begins with a Sept. 19 game at Rutgers, followed by two straight home games against Oregon and Washington. Next will be Penn State, then the first bye week.

The Trojans resume play and head to Wisconsin on Oct. 24 before returning to the Coliseum to host Ohio State. The second bye week is Nov. 7 followed by the away game at Indiana on Nov. 14, a home game against Maryland on Nov. 21 and, finally, the crosstown rivalry against UCLA on Nov. 28 at the Rose Bowl.

The 2026 Week 0 opponent has yet to be announced, but USC will host Fresno State on Sept. 5 and Louisiana on Sept. 12 for two of its three nonconference games.

2026 USC football schedule

Aug. 29: Opponent TBA

Sept. 5: Fresno State

Sept. 12: Louisiana

Sept. 19: at Rutgers

Sept. 26: Oregon

Oct. 3: Washington

Oct. 10: at Penn State

Oct. 17: Bye

Oct. 24: at Wisconsin

Oct. 31: Ohio State

Nov. 7: Bye

Nov. 14: at Indiana

Nov. 21: Maryland

Nov. 28: UCLA