Micah Huff predicts every USC football game for 2026 season

This season could be a very exciting year or yet another disappointment for Lincoln Riley. The talent on the Trojans helps build confidence that this will be the season Lincoln Riley and USC have been waiting for. The schedule will challenge USC, but this season, even that should not stop the Trojans from their end goal.

Here is my schedule and record prediction breakdown for the Trojans this season:

Week 1- vs San Jose State

Just like last season, USC will come out of the gate hot. I expect USC to win this match by a wide margin and for many Trojans to have big debuts.

Week 2- vs Fresno State Bulldogs

USC will follow up on their big Week 1 performance with another spectacular offensive showing and run up the score on the Bulldogs. Gary Patterson and the defense will build some confidence as well.

Week 3- Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

This will be the Trojans' toughest match out of the non-conference matches, but I still think USC will win comfortably. The defense will get a nice challenge in trying to slow down Cajun quarterback Lunch Winfield. The dual-threat quarterback led the Cajuns to finish the season undefeated and get into a bowl game. The offense for the Trojans will still be enough to cruise for a 3rd straight week.

Week 4- at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers will be one of the worst teams in the Big Ten this season, but they will still serve as a good tune-up opponent with the offensive talent they have. I think the Trojans' offense will keep their confidence high in this game and enter their match vs the Oregon Ducks scorching hot.

Week 5- vs Oregon Ducks

This will be the game that sets the tone for what the 2026 season is for the USC Trojans, and it could not be against a better opponent. The Oregon Ducks have championship aspirations and are a team that has the roster to back up those goals. Lincoln Riley and USC could prove they belong in the Big Ten by knocking their rival off their high horse. I think Riley and the Trojans' explosive offense have what it takes to light up the score with the Ducks, and this will be the Gary Patterson game. Patterson will become a USC Trojan legend in this one.

I think the Trojans pull off the upset and get into the College Football Playoff solely off of this statement win.

Week 6- vs Washington Huskies

Many might think this game will be a high-scoring one, as both USC and Washington have high-scoring offenses. However, I believe this game will be decided by the Trojans' defense stifling Demond Williams and company. I expect the Trojans' defensive line to have a big day and the Huskies' road woes to continue vs. their rival.

Week 7- at Penn State Nittany Lions

This will be a very hostile environment for the Trojans to play in. If there is a game that has trap game written all over it, I think it will be this one. I won't be surprised if the Trojans fall to Penn State during their infamous white-out game. I still am leaning more towards the Trojans' offense having enough juice to squeak this one out. This will be a huge game for Maiava. He is more than capable of outplaying Rocco Becht. USC will pull through and win a close one, and this game will end up being one of the highlights of the season.

Week 9- at Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin will be another challenging environment for the Trojans. This one will be another defensive match for the Trojans to squeak out of. Although the Badgers added a quarterback with more talent than last season, I still will bet on USC to have enough to put up the most points in this game. It will take all the way to the 4th quarter, but I think Maiava proves to be clutch in the end and beats another worthy Big Ten opponent.

Week 11- vs Ohio State Buckeyes

The Trojans' magical season will come to a pit stop as they run into the freight train that is the Ohio State Buckeyes. I think the game will be close early, but Ohio State will earn the title of best team in the country in this game. Lincoln Riley and USC will be humbled by the Buckeyes in the end.

Week 12- at Indiana Hoosiers

Coming off a disappointing loss to the Buckeyes, USC will face another potential title contender in the Hoosiers. The game may be closer than the previous match, but USC will suffer another loss to a better team and a better coach. The Indiana Hoosiers' defense and the brilliance of Curt Cignetti will prove too much for USC.

Week 13- vs Maryland Terrapins

Malik Washington will make this game a little bit exciting, but the USC Trojans will get back on the right track in a big way versus the Terrapins. The Trojans' offense will get back to humming and catch their stride to finish the season strong. Trojans will win big.

Final week of the season- at UCLA Bruins

Given the premise that this is a rivalry, this game will be a lot closer than expected, at least in the first half. Bob Chesney will have the UCLA Bruins as a very competent team this season, but they will still prove to be far away in talent from USC. USC will pull away in the end.

Here is my final record prediction: 10-2

The Trojans will finally get the season many people have been waiting for. This schedule is not easy by any means, and there is a great chance that this season could fall apart. However, there is no time better than the present, and there is a different level of confidence surrounding the Trojans this year. I think the talent and new coaching addition will finally amount to some real winning.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah Huff predicts every USC football game for 2026 season