USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has been unable to lead USC to the College Football Playoff, but heading into 2026, the program looks to change that.

With the pressure rising on Riley and the Trojans, USC must make the CFP next season and compete at a high level in the Big Ten, which will be no easy task with several other teams across the country in a similar situation. Heading into the 2026 season, here are three teams that the Trojans may be competing with to qualify for the College Football Playoff. 

Oklahoma Sooners

One of the more intriguing teams that USC may have to compete with in order to get to the CFP is the Oklahoma Sooners. During the 2025 season, Oklahoma was able to make the College Football Playoff, which was mainly done behind coach Brent Venables stifling defense. Unfortunately for Oklahoma, the offense was not nearly as successful. 

Last season on offense, the Sooners struggled to consistently move the ball on offense and often put a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of quarterback John Mateer. During Mateer’s 2025 campaign, he recorded 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and completed 62.2 percent of his passes while also adding 431 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. 

With the constant turnovers that Mateer had in addition to Oklahoma’s struggles in running the ball, the Sooners' offensive attack on a weekly basis was very inconsistent and often lacked balance. 

On the other hand, USC has a much more balanced offense led by quarterback Jayden Maiava. Really, the main question for USC will be who can emerge as the wide receiver one after the departures of Maakai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane to the NFL, and if Gary Patterson’s defensive scheme can mesh well with USC’s defensive personnel. 

If USC has clear solutions for these questions, and Oklahoma’s offense is inconsistent once again in 2026, the Trojans should be in a prime position to make the College Football Playoff, with the Sooners in danger of missing it. 

BYU Cougars

The second team USC could battle for a spot in the CFP is the BYU Cougars, led by coach Kalani Sitake. who is entering his 11th season with BYU, which could be the year where he helps the Cougars to get over the top and qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Last season, BYU was on the brink of qualifying before the College Football Playoff, but a loss to Texas Tech in the regular season and again in the Big 12 championship was just enough to leave the Cougars out. Even with those two tough losses, BYU made the season a success after defeating Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Throughout the season, freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier constantly showcased his dual-threat ability and was a major reason for the Cougars’ success. 

During the 2025 season, Bachmeier totaled 3,033 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, seven intercpetions while completing 64.9 percent of his passes. On the ground, Bachmeier totaled 527 yards and 11 touchdowns, which made BYU’s offense even more dangerous and difficult to prepare for.

For the Trojans to finish higher than BYU, there is no doubt that the schedule will play a factor. USC’s toughest games include matchups against Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana, while BYU takes on Arizona, Notre Dame, and Arizona State. Between USC and BYU, whichever team has more success in these tougher games definitely has the inside track to a better finish and potentially a College Football Playoff berth. 

LSU Tigers

During the 2026 season, the Trojans could have to compete with another SEC team for a spot in the College Football Playoff in the form of the LSU Tigers and coach Lane Kiffin.

Next season will be Kiffin’s first season with LSU after leaving Ole Miss, and with many tough opponents, Kiffin and the Tigers could find themselves in a precarious position early in the season. The toughest games for LSU in 2026 include matchups against Clemson, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee. 

In addition to a tough schedule, LSU also has to build a connection between Kiffin and Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt, who will be entering their first season together, and with a tough schedule, this could prove to be very difficult.

Last season with Arizona State, Leavitt recorded 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns, three intercpetions, and completed 60.7 percent of his passes in addition to adding 306 yards and five touchdowns as a rusher. However, Leavitt did miss the second half of 2025 with a foot injury and should be ready for next, but if his mobility is limited, that could play a key factor in how successful USC can be on offense.

With that in mind, the fact that Maiava and most of the USC roster are healthy and are playing together once again could be an advantage for the Trojans. With that continuity, USC‘s offense under Rioley could be even better in 2026 than it was in 2025.

So heading into 2026, the battle of USC’s continuity and LSU’s significantly revamped roster could end up being one storyline that determines whether the Trojans or the Tigers make the College Football Playoff spot, and potentially if USC or LSU could win their respective conferences. 

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.