The 2026 football season for USC just kicked off, and seriously, it’s staring down one of the most crucial years in program history. The Trojans are set to face San Jose State this Saturday to open their campaign, but this isn’t just about one game. The entire college sports cycle for them is starting with massive pressure, because “almost” isn’t cutting it anymore.
The Crushing Weight of “Almost, But Not Quite”
USC athletics is stuck in an endless loop of “almost but not quite” seasons. It’s gotta be killing their fans. Women’s basketball? They were on the brink of a Women’s Final Four in 2025. But an injury to superstar JuJu Watkins and getting bracketed with UConn in the Elite Eight *two straight years* torpedoed it. Brutal luck, maybe, but still no Final Four.
And football? Man, the list is long. Almost made the College Football Playoff in 2022 but dropped the Pac-12 Championship to Utah. Almost won a New Year’s Six bowl, only to completely implode late against Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. Last year, they needed 10-2 for the CFP and went 9-3. The program has never even made the playoff! Their last major revenue-sport win was the 2016 football team beating Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl. Besides that, the 2017 Pac-12 championship, a men’s Elite Eight in 2021, and two women’s Elite Eights are pretty much it since the 2009 Rose Bowl. The cupboard is bare.
Riley’s Fifth Year: The “If Not Now, When?” Moment
This brings us to Lincoln Riley. This is Year 5 for him at USC. He’s had four whole years to get this football program into the College Football Playoff. Four years! He’s gotta ask himself: if not now, when? It’s time to actually “land the plane” and finally snap this ridiculous drought. Think about it: could you even imagine an Ohio State, an Alabama, or a Georgia going four years without a playoff appearance? The expectation there is playoff-or-bust every season, and that time is *now* for USC.
Beyond Football: Other Programs Chasing That Final Step
JuJu Watkins is back for women’s basketball, bringing an elite recruiting class with her, including new stars Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith. She didn’t underachieve last season; the injury just crushed them mid-March Madness. The talent is there, it’s about finishing. And Andy Stankiewicz has done an impressive job turning USC baseball around, no doubt. But they were two outs away from going to Omaha for the College World Series last year, and they couldn’t get them. North Carolina went instead! So for baseball, it’s about taking that final step, getting those last two outs, and making it happen. They haven’t been to the College World Series since 2001, and the basketball programs haven’t made a Final Four since the women did it in 1986!
This “falling short” identity? It wears on people’s emotions. For USC, this next college sports cycle isn’t just important, it’s everything. Falling short again simply won’t be accepted. Let’s hope this “most important year in USC sports history” actually becomes memorable for all the *right* reasons.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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