Indiana delivered a crushing 27-13 home win over No. 18 USC on Saturday, a result that quickly clarified the Big Ten’s College Football Playoff picture. The loss drops the Trojans to a 7-3 record on the season, seriously jeopardizing any lingering CFP aspirations.
The Hoosiers Shut Down the Trojans
It wasn’t a clean start for Lincoln Riley’s squad, as they fell into an early 10-3 deficit. To their credit, USC battled back, tying the game at 10-10 by halftime. But that’s where the fight seemed to run out. Indiana’s running back Khobie Martin punched in a touchdown with just 2:39 left in the third quarter, giving the Hoosiers a 20-13 lead they wouldn’t surrender. USC’s offense, led by Jayden Maiava, completely stalled in the fourth quarter. Their final three drives were brutal: a missed 27-yard field goal, a fumble, and an interception. Indiana quarterback Grant Wilson, who got the starting nod over Josh Hoover, iced the game with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker, making it 27-13 and slamming the door shut. Wilson finished with an impressive 305 passing yards, two touchdowns, and just one interception, a stark contrast to Maiava’s day, where he threw three picks.
Three Losses, No Path to the CFP
So, where do things stand for USC after this gut punch? With three losses now on their resume, getting into the College Football Playoff is a serious uphill battle, if not an outright impossibility. Beyond the Indiana defeat, the Trojans also dropped games on the road against unranked Wisconsin and to Oregon back in Week 5. Sure, they have one ‘signature win’ a dominant 30-18 victory over then-No. 2 Ohio State in Los Angeles two weeks ago, and that looked great at the time. But their other wins? They came against unranked Big Ten opponents like Rutgers, Washington, and Penn State, plus nonconference matchups against San Jose State, Fresno State, and Louisiana. Those aren’t exactly ‘move the needle’ victories, are they? ESPN’s FPI had them at just a 14% chance to make the CFP even *before* Saturday’s game. After this loss, they don’t truly have a case anymore. They’d need some serious, almost impossible, help to crack the field.
USC still has two games left on the schedule: at home against Maryland next week, and then a massive Rivalry Week road game against undefeated No. 4 UCLA on November 28. While a win over the Bruins would be a huge statement, the reality is it likely won’t be enough to make USC a contender this season. With three losses and not enough signature victories to offset them, the Trojans are playing for pride and a better bowl position now, not the CFP.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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