Can USC Trojans Stay Undefeated? Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, Tough Schedule Looms

The No. 11 USC Trojans play seven straight weeks of competition before the second bye week. Can USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his team navigate the rest of the season and remain unscathed? Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska loom in Big Ten conference play

Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) celebrates with USC Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) after scoring a touchdown against Utah State Aggies during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

After the No. 11 USC Trojans return from their bye week, the team plays seven straight weeks of football games before the second bye. A gauntlet for any program, the next seven games for USC will also be the first time the Trojans clash with their new Big Ten opponents.

Can USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley and his team navigate the rest of the season and remain unscathed?

As of Sept. 16, the Trojans are scheduled to face four ranked opponents for the rest of the season. USC will face No. 10 Penn State, No. 17 Notre Dame, No. 18 Michigan, and No. 22 Nebraska.

The first ranked matchup is on Saturday, Sept. 21, as USC travels to Ann Arbor to face No. 18 Michigan. Although defending national champions, the 2024 Wolverines have struggled at the start of the season. The Wolverines have an ugly loss to No. 1 Texas, and they beat Arkansas State by 10 points.

Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) celebrates with USC Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) after scoring a touchdown against Utah State Aggies during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Should USC leave the Big House with a win, they could set themselves up for an undefeated showdown with No. 10 Penn State on Oct. 12. In between the Michigan and Penn State games, the Trojans are scheduled to face the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Both Wisconsin and Minnesota are having down years compared to expectations. Minnesota lost 19-17 to North Carolina in week zero, and Wisconsin recently lost to Alabama 42-10 at home. Should the Trojans get past both of those teams, Riley and his team might have a top-10 matchup on their hands.

On paper, the toughest game of the Trojans season will be when the Nittany Lions travel to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. According to the AP Poll, this midseason matchup figures to be the toughest game on USC's season.

After playing Penn State, USC will fly across the country to face Maryland on Oct. 19. The stretch of seven games will end on a Friday night against Rutgers followed by a road trip to Washington. On Nov. 9, the Trojans will have reached the second bye week of the season.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the first half against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Should this Trojans team win its first nine games, its resume will feature wins over LSU, Michigan, and Penn State. In the first two games of the season, USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss has impressed, and defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn has already improved the defense in his short time with the team.

Already a strong collection of wins, USC has the chance to add another against a surging Nebraska on Nov. 16.

After an impressive 3-0 start under quarterback Dylan Raiola, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have climbed into the AP poll at No. 22. If the Trojans and the Cornhuskers continue to win, the game will assuredly be one of the marquee matchups across the country.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) reacts after the game against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Both Nebraska and Penn State travel to Los Angeles to play the Trojans, giving USC a legitimate chance to host College GameDay. In the final home game at the Coliseum, USC will host the Fighting Irish, currently ranked No. 17 in the week four AP Poll.

A difficult opponent after playing a grueling schedule, Notre Dame has already suffered an upset at home to No. 23 Northern Illinois.

While certainly difficult, this Trojans team has the potential to rack up some impressive wins should they survive the season. However, teams can afford to lose a game and still have a path to the postseason in the expanded playoff system.

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