As football prepares to kick off its highly-anticipated sophomore season in the Big Ten this Saturday, pressure is on for fourth-year Head Coach Lincoln Riley and company to bounce back from a disappointing 7-6 season while managing the 18th-hardest schedule in Division I, based on their opponents’ combined 2024 win percentage, according to a Sports Illustrated analysis. 

USC’s difficult 2025 slate includes four matchups against teams currently ranked in The Associated Press’ preseason top 15, with just one being played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Last season, the Trojans finished the season with a 7-6 record after going just 4-5 in conference play. A common theme was an inability to close out late leads, as they held a fourth-quarter lead in five of their six losses last season.

After losing key players to the transfer portal and NFL Draft, the Trojans will look to redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava to lead a bounce-back season after missing the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2019. 

Here’s a look at some key matchups for the Trojans this season.

Sept. 27: No. 12 Illinois

Illinois is coming off its best season in 23 years, where it went 10-3 and placed fifth in the Big Ten. The Illini are led by redshirt senior quarterback Luke Altmyer, who will be protected by an all-returning starting offensive line, unlike USC who will have a mostly new-look line this season.

However, the Fighting Illini lost multiple key members in the run defense to the NFL Draft, so Trojan junior running back Waymond Jordan, who was named the starter by Riley on Monday, will have an opportunity to make a major impact from the jump. 

The last time these two teams clashed was in the 2008 Rose Bowl, which USC won 49-17. This is USC’s first tough Big Ten road test of the season and will give the Trojans an opportunity to prove they are ready to compete with the division’s other top programs. 

Oct. 11: No. 14 Michigan

Despite following up its National Championship win with an unusually slow 8-5 season in 2024, Michigan Head Coach Sherrone Moore found his footing as a first-year head coach late in the season, leading his squad to a win over rival Ohio State, which went on to win the National Championship. 

In 2025, the maize and blue will start freshman phenom quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025 per 247 Sports. 

After a 27-24 loss at the Big House last season, the Trojans will look to even the score by bringing the pressure to a young quarterback at their own iconic home stadium. 

Oct. 18: No. 6 Notre Dame

Notre Dame had an impressive 2024 season, finishing 14-2 and losing in the National Championship game to the Buckeyes in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format. 

While the Fighting Irish lost the anchor of that playoff run, quarterback Riley Leonard, a dangerous force remains in the backfield with preseason Heisman candidate Jeremiyah Love. Arguably the best returning running back in the country, Love brings a dynamic run style and a fierce presence in the red zone that will challenge Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s much deeper defensive line. 

The USC-Notre Dame rivalry has been an iconic competition to watch for over a century, but USC’s long-term commitment to the matchup remains uncertain. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 52-37-5, including a 49-35 victory over the Trojans in 2024. The rivalry’s 95th iteration will take place in South Bend.

Nov. 22: No. 7 Oregon

Last season’s Big Ten regular season champion Oregon Ducks will face the Trojans for the first time since they both left the Pac-12 ahead of the 2024 season.

Coming off a strong season and a win in the rivalry’s most recent game in 2023, with a score of 36-27, the Ducks are hoping to build on their momentum despite losing a program-record 10 players to the NFL draft, including star quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore, a transfer from UCLA, will step in under center, hoping to capture Gabriel’s magic. When the teams face off in Eugene, Oregon, Moore will have weapons out wide as well, including five-star freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore.

Nov. 29: UCLA

USC closes out the 2025 season, per usual, with its crosstown rival UCLA. The Trojans now lead the all-time series 51-34-7 after a notable 19-13 win in a tired game at the Rose Bowl last season which helped turn their season around.  

UCLA had another subpar season in 2024, going 5-7 and finishing 3-6 in the Big Ten, but redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a Tennessee transfer, looks to lead an uphill charge for the Bruins.