The defending champs, No. 5 Indiana, just locked in their chance to fight for another College Football Playoff title, flat out dropping 14 unanswered points on No. 14 USC to break a 13-all tie in the second half. This wasn’t just a win, folks, it was 27-13 statement in front of 54,336 fans inside a totally sold-out Memorial Stadium, and it could send Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers right back to the Big Ten Championship Game and, yep, the CFP.
Hoosiers’ Second Half Surge Secures CFP Lifeline
Man, the Hoosiers showed up to play in the second half. They snatched that win, 27-13, right there in Bloomington. This was the MUST-HAVE quality win for Curt Cignetti’s squad, one that could launch them right back into the Big Ten Championship Game and, absolutely, the College Football Playoff. Indiana, sitting at No. 9 in the CFP rankings and winners of 25 of their past 26 games, played like it in the clutch. Their defense was lights out, intercepting Trojans senior quarterback Jayden Maiava three times, with two of those picks coming in the final 10 minutes. Talk about timing! That first late pick was HUGE, stopping what looked like a game-tying touchdown when Isaiah Jones baited Maiava into a wild throw at the goal line. Jones snagged it, fumbled for a second, then recovered, giving Indiana possession. Then the Hoosiers delivered the knockout blow, with quarterback Grant Wilson hitting the all-everything playmaker Charlie Becker for a touchdown after USC’s defense completely sold out to stop the run. That final interception for Maiava? It just sealed the deal, confirming Indiana’s path toward a third straight CFP appearance.
Another Playoff-Less Season Looms for Lincoln Riley and USC
But let’s be real, this game was a brutal gut punch for Lincoln Riley and USC. Their senior QB, Jayden Maiava, got picked off THREE times, with two of those coming in the final 10 minutes. Ouch. USC couldn’t find any answers in the second half, plagued by a missed field goal and Indiana’s resurgent, physical running game. The Trojans had their chances early, too. Indiana missed a field goal, settled for another after a goal-to-go situation, and couldn’t protect a 10-3 lead in the waning moments of the first half after Nico Radicic gave them that seven-point edge. Even after Indiana’s defense picked off Maiava at midfield, Wilson’s next pass got intercepted and returned to the Indiana 40. Maiava then connected with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a crazy 51-yard play down to Indiana’s 10, and Zacharyus Williams hauled in Maiava’s next pass to tie it at 10-10 at halftime. They just couldn’t carry that momentum into the second half. Now, USC, sitting at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in conference, and No. 18 in the CFP rankings, faces the harsh reality of yet another Playoff-less season under Riley, which would be a fifth straight. Meanwhile, their crosstown rival UCLA is still undefeated and safely tucked inside those CFP projections.
So what’s next? Indiana is absolutely barreling towards a third straight CFP appearance. It’s simple math now. For Riley and USC though? They’re staring down another season without a berth, a truly unwanted history for a coach of his caliber.
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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