The second College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings were released on Tuesday night, and the USC Trojans, fresh off a bye week, jumped two spots from No. 20 to No. 18. 

Outside of the 12-team bracket and looking to make the College Football Playoff for the very first time after several times failing to come up short, the Trojans face a prime opportunity on Saturday against the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers to reach one step closer to their ultimate goal. 

In addition to Saturday’s matchup against the Hoosiers, the Trojans' remaining schedule features a final home game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Maryland Terrapins on Nov. 21 and their Crosstown Rivalry matchup at the Rose Bowl against the undefeated No. 4 UCLA Bruins on Nov. 28. 

The Trojans' path to the College Football Playoff is simple: beat Indiana on Saturday and win their other two matchups against the Terrapins and Bruins. Wins in these two matchups will likely also clinch the Trojans a spot in the Big Ten championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings

1. Georgia 
2. Utah 
3. Alabama
4. UCLA 
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas
7. Miami
8. Tennessee
9. Indiana
10. BYU
11. Kentucky
12. Texas Tech
13. Wake Forest
14. Houston
15. Iowa
16. Oregon
17. South Carolina
18. USC
19. Ole Miss
20. Ohio State
21. LSU
22. Missouri
23. Arizona 
24. Boise State
25. Oklahoma State

Can USC Trojans Knock Off Indiana Hoosiers?

Winning on the road has always been a challenge for Riley’s USC squads, and to make the CFP, they’ll have to beat two top-10-ranked teams, UCLA and Indiana. Despite recent close calls against the Michigan Wolverines and Minnesota Golden Gophers, the defending national champion Hoosiers, led by coach Curt Cignetti, remain a tough team to beat.

If the Trojans upset the Hoosiers on Saturday, it’ll likely be for these two reasons: the play of their starting quarterback, Jayden Maiava, and their defense led by first-year defensive coordinator Gary Patterson. 

Maiava is in the middle of another spectacular year as he’s in his second season as the full-time starting quarterback for the Trojans. He’s been as consistent as any quarterback in the Big Ten and the country, with 2,524 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Against the Hoosiers, Maiava will look to rely on some of his top offensive weapons, including a pair of star freshmen wide receiver Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman. Mosley leads a young and talented wide receiver room this season with 32 receptions for 512 yards and six touchdowns. 

As for the Trojans' defense, an aspect of their team that has held them back from achieving their championship goals in the past, the unit has improved every game under Patterson’s defensive play-calling, and they look to put together one of their best performances of the season on Saturday against the Hoosiers. On defense, the Trojans will rely on key defensive players, including defensive ends Jide Abasiri and Luke Wafle.

Even after coming off a bye week of their own, the Hoosiers dropped five spots in the CFP Top 25 rankings from No. 4 to No. 9. The teams that leapfrogged the Hoosiers include the No. 4 UCLA Bruins, No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, No. 6 Texas Longhorns, and No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers.

The Trojans are catching the Hoosiers at the worst possible time. Not only have the Hoosiers had a bye week to work on their recent issues, but the Trojans will also be facing an Indiana team that is likely to be ticked off after falling four spots in the rankings. 

USC Trojans vs. Indiana Hoosiers Kickoff Time, Betting Odds

For the third time this season, the Trojans enter a game as an underdog. The other two times were matchups against the No. 16 Oregon Ducks and No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Trojans went 1-1 in those matchups as they enter Bloomington as a 7.5-point underdog, per DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds. 

The Trojans and Hoosiers will kick off at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the game broadcast on CBS.