LOS ANGELES — It’s the bye week moment of truth.
No. 15 USC (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) made multiple changes to its bye week after beating No. 21 Ohio State and heading into a game against No. 6 Indiana (8-1, 5-1). The Trojans are trying to avoid a repeat of the last bye’s outcome, when they lost to unranked Wisconsin.
“I think (we) came into this week with probably more good work under our belts,” head coach Lincoln Riley said.
“And a little bit more – I’m not going to say more prepared, but because of the time spent and how much we felt like we were able to push the guys last week, I think it’s fair to say we’re quite a bit further ahead than we were at this point before playing Wisconsin.”
Differences between the previous and most recent bye weeks included more first team-against-first team scenarios, longer practices and one additional practice.
The proximity of the bye weeks has also been a benefit, as well. Having just two weeks between the two has allowed for more recovery and fresher players. They’ve also been opportunities for the coaching staff to get to know the team on a deeper level.
“We learned some things in terms of the way that we prepared and the way that we recovered and even just the rhythm of how we practice,” Riley said. “Not necessarily just the amount, but even like the rhythm and the buildup of leading into this game.”
The Trojans had gone as far as to rename the bye week, calling it a “standard week” to reinforce its importance.
“I think the team bought in with it,” running back Waymond Jordan said. “We knew we needed to get better that week and not just go out there and just be lazy. I think it wasn’t time for that. It was time just to elevate our standard and keep getting better, like we’ve been doing all season.”
CFP RANKINGS
USC moved up two spots to the No. 18 spot in the latest CFP rankings released on Tuesday night.
The Trojans have now surpassed Ohio State, which tumbled to No. 20 after being the No. 12 team in the previous rankings. Mississippi’s 42-7 loss to Georgia also dropped the Rebels down nine spots and created space for USC to rise.
The CFP also announced this week that the playoff field will be expanding to a 24-team format for the 2027 season and conference championship games will be eliminated for the Power 4 conferences.
Riley, who won four Big 12 championships during his time at Oklahoma, weighed in on the changes.
“It’ll be sad to see some of the conference championship games go,” he said. “But the flip side is, I think what it’s going to create in terms of the playoff is going to be equally great if not even better. I’m excited to see how that plays out in the future and how it affects the calendar.”
AWARDS WATCH
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava was selected to the Davey O’Brien Class of 2026, along with 30 other college football players who are now eligible for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
Maiava leads the Big Ten with 22 completions per game, 20 passing touchdowns and 2,524 passing yards. He’s tied for second in program history in terms of yards per attempt (8.6), which is just short of Caleb Williams’ 9.2.
Maiava is also a finalist for the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award, which looks beyond the game to recognize leadership, character and service. Maiava traveled back to his hometown of Pālolo Valley over the summer to host a football clinic and spoke to elementary, middle and high school classes.
Running back King Miller is one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is awarded to the best college football player in the country who began his career as a walk-on.
Miller was placed on scholarship after the 2025 season and, this season, is USC’s leading rusher with 681 yards and five touchdowns on 138 carries. He’s rushed for more than 100 yards in a game on three different occasions – against Louisiana (128), Rutgers (102) and Penn State (102).