USC Football Schedule 2026: Full Trojans Slate, Dates, and Key Games

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USC starts before almost everyone and finishes against everyone: the Trojans open Week 0 against San Jose State on Saturday, August 29 at the Coliseum, then play a schedule that brings both Oregon and No. 1 Ohio State to Los Angeles and sends Lincoln Riley’s team to Penn State, Wisconsin, and defending national champion Indiana. Year five for Riley — with Gary Patterson now running the defense — is openly a playoff-or-bust season.

Kickoff times for most Big Ten games are announced 6-12 days out based on TV selections, so check back weekly — this page is updated as times, networks, and results come in.

2026 Team Schedule
USC Football Schedule
Big Ten · LA Memorial Coliseum · Lincoln Riley (5th year)
#14
Preseason Coaches Poll
7
Home Games
Aug 29
Week 0 Opener vs SJSU
Oct 31
Circle It: Ohio State
Date Opponent Time (ET) / TV Result
Sat, Aug 29 vs San Jose State 3:00 PM · NBC/Peacock —
Fri, Sept 4 vs Fresno State 9:00 PM · FOX —
Sat, Sept 12 vs Louisiana 11:00 PM · BTN —
Sat, Sept 19 at Rutgers 3:30 PM · CBS —
Sat, Sept 26 vs Oregon TBA —
Sat, Oct 3 vs Washington TBA —
Sat, Oct 10 at Penn State TBA —
Sat, Oct 17 Bye Week — —
Sat, Oct 24 at Wisconsin TBA —
Sat, Oct 31 vs Ohio State TBA —
Sat, Nov 7 Bye Week — —
Sat, Nov 14 at Indiana TBA —
Sat, Nov 21 vs Maryland TBA —
Sat, Nov 28 at UCLA (Rose Bowl) TBA —

Games That Will Decide USC’s Season

Sept 26 vs Oregon No. 2 Oregon comes to the Coliseum in the old Pac-12 rivalry’s Big Ten era. USC hasn’t beaten the Ducks since 2023 — winning this one changes the ceiling of the whole season.
Oct 10 at Penn State Riley’s teams have struggled away from home, and a White Out-caliber trip to Beaver Stadium is the toughest road environment on the slate.
Oct 31 vs Ohio State The preseason No. 1 at the Coliseum on Halloween. Win it and USC is squarely in the playoff picture; the Trojans went unbeaten at home in 2025 and need that streak to hold.
Nov 14 at Indiana A November trip to Bloomington against the defending national champions — likely the game that sorts out the Big Ten’s playoff seeding.
The Home Gauntlet
Oregon and Ohio State both visit the Coliseum — a rare year when USC’s two biggest measuring-stick games come to Los Angeles.
Patterson Takes the Defense
Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson is USC’s new defensive coordinator, the biggest staff change of the Riley era.
Week 0 + Friday Follow-Up
USC plays twice before most teams play once — San Jose State on August 29, then Fresno State the following Friday night.

How the Schedule Sets Up

The soft Week 0 launch and three straight home tune-ups let USC build rhythm before the Oregon-Washington-Penn State stretch that will define September and October. Two well-placed byes bracket the Ohio State game, and the finish — Indiana on the road, Maryland at home, then the crosstown trip to the Rose Bowl — gives the Trojans a résumé-building runway if they survive the middle. For what’s actually at stake in these seeding battles, here’s how the College Football Playoff works; the broader FBS structure is governed by the NCAA.

The Bottom Line

Oregon and Ohio State at home, Penn State and Indiana on the road, and a rivalry finale at the Rose Bowl — USC’s 2026 schedule is a playoff résumé waiting to be written, or a reckoning. Bookmark this page — times, networks, and results are updated throughout the season.