Three games remain for the No. 20 USC Trojans and a potential spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. The first of two games against top-10-ranked teams takes place on Saturday, when the Trojans travel to Bloomington to face the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers.

Fresh off a signature win over the then No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Halloween, the Trojans come out of the bye week looking to shock the world again as they take on Coach Curt Cignetti’s defending national champion Hoosiers. 

CFP aspirations will be on the line for both teams, and for Coach Lincoln Riley’s squad, the matchup against the Hoosiers allows them the opportunity to add another signature win to their resume. 

The Trojans (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) are looking to make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. It’s a milestone a passionate fanbase has long waited for, as they’ve fallen short twice under Riley. Here’s a prediction for which bowl game the Trojans will play in following their second bye week and ahead of the pivotal matchup against the Hoosiers. 

USC Bowl Projection: Trojans On Cusp of CFP

The Hoosiers are a very beatable team, as they’ve had close calls recently against the Michigan Wolverines and Minnesota Golden Gophers. While both teams are coming off a bye week ahead of Saturday’s matchup, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Trojans pull off the upset.

The Trojans' offense is clicking as one of the best in the Big Ten under quarterback Jayden Maiava, who is as consistent as any in the country. USC’s defense under Gary Patterson is also playing much better than in previous seasons. 

The biggest question is whether the Trojans also go on the road and upset the No. 8 UCLA Bruins, one of two remaining undefeated teams in the country, along with the No. 3 Utah Utes. The Trojans have won two straight games in their Crosstown Rivalry series against the Bruins and are looking to retain the Victory Bell and spoil UCLA’s undefeated season at the Rose Bowl.

The way things stand heading into their matchup against the Hoosiers, the Trojans are just outside of the CFP. Despite the optimism heading into their final three regular-season games, I still think the Trojans fall short of the CFP, losing to either the Hoosiers or UCLA to finish 9-3 for the second consecutive season. 

The Trojans are currently fourth in the Big Ten to win the Big Ten championship at +900, according to the latest FanDuel Sportsbook betting odds. Just ahead of them are the Indiana Hoosiers (+100), UCLA Bruins (+280), and Oregon Ducks (+650).

USC Trojans Projected Bowl Opponent: BYU Cougars

This will place the Trojans in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio for the second consecutive season, where they look for redemption after losing 30-27 in overtime to the TCU Horned Frogs. USC's Alamo Bowl opponent this time around will be the No. 9 BYU Cougars.

Once ranked No. 2 in the country following their upset home win over the No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Oct. 17, the Cougars have suffered two losses and could be one of the first teams left out of the CFP, meaning they’ll play the Trojans in the Alamo Bowl.

This season, the Cougars have lost a double-overtime heartbreaker to the UCF Knights and recently fell to their arch-rival, the No. 3 Utah Utes. For the Alamo Bowl, the Cougars will be a tough and exciting matchup for Riley’s Trojans, as their talented offense, led by quarterback Bear Bachmeier, will challenge USC’s defense.

The quarterback duel between Bachmeier and Maiava should also be a very exciting matchup, as both quarterbacks have thrown for over 2,000 yards this season. Bachmeier enters the Cougars Week 11 matchup against the Baylor Bears with a total of 2,022 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. 

The Trojans and Cougars have met four previous times, with the series tied at 2-2. The Cougars recently earned wins over the Trojans in the 2019 and 2021 seasons, as USC’s last win over BYU came in 2004 in Provo, a game they won in a 42-10 rout. 

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