USC Trojans Long Shots To Win 2026 National Championship? Ohio State Favorites

With the 2025 National Championship Game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish yet to be played, betting odds have been released for next season's College Football Playoff. What are the USC Trojans' odds of winning the national title in 2026?

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes are playing for the 2025 National Championship on Monday night as the final two teams remaining in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. Ohio State is favored to beat Notre Dame on Monday, and oddsmakers from the major sportsbooks have the Buckeyes favored to win the 2026 National Championship.

The USC Trojans' currently sit at +11000 to win next season's national title, a definite long shot. USC's betting odds are tied with Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Iowa State, and Arkansas.

At the top of the predicted leaderboard is Ohio State with odds of +450, while Texas, Oregon, and Georgia are tied for second at +650.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The Penn State Nittany Lions stand alone behind the Longhorns, Ducks, and Bulldogs with odds of +850 followed by Notre Dame at +1200. Many other schools sit above the Trojans like Miami (+4000), Florida (+5000), Louisville (+6000), and Arizona State (+8500).

While odds for conference championship winners in 2026 have not been released, five teams from the Big Ten have better odds than USC to win the College Football Playoff: Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana (+8500), and Nebraska (+10000).

Clearly, oddsmakers in Vegas do not have high expectations for Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his team in 2026. USC lost over 20 players to the transfer portal but will be returning key offensive starters like quarterback Jayden Maiava as well as wide receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon.

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On defense, perhaps the most important news of the offseason was the signing of defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn to a contract extension. Additionally, safety Kamari Ramsey decided to forgo the NFL Draft to return to USC for another season. Through the transfer portal, the Trojans are bringing in impact players such as defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver (Kentucky), cornerback DJ Harvey (San Jose State), and safety Bishop Fitzgerald (NC State).

USC's schedule for next season features road games against expected top-25 teams in Notre Dame, Oregon, and Nebraska. Additionally, Michigan and Iowa will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to face USC. The Trojans will not play Ohio State or Penn State in their second Big Ten Conference schedule.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) moves the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio (97) moves in during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In the first season as members of the Big Ten and year three of the Lincoln Riley era in Southern California, the Trojans finished 7-6 with upset wins over the LSU Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies. However, USC lost five games to Big Ten opponents and lost to Notre Dame in the regular season finale.

The 2025 National Championship between Ohio State and Notre Dame will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 20. After Buckeyes coach Ryan Day or Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman hoist up the CFP Championship Trophy on Monday night, all eyes will turn to 2026.

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