USC Trojans
0–0 · 0–0 BIG TEN
Way too early
WEEK 6 · 2026
7%
Big Ten title game
2%
Win the Big Ten
24%
Make the playoff
3%
First-round bye
avg seed 7.7
Way-too-early read: preseason ratings, while rosters are still settling. The week-6 job: beat Penn State.
The Saturday rundown
ranked by what moves USC's pathYour game
TBD
SAT OCT 10
USC at Penn State
Your game. Beat Penn State and your playoff odds are 39%; lose and they drop to 16%.
Penn State 68%
Worth a glancesmaller, but real
TBD
SAT OCT 10
UCLA at Oregon
UCLA visits your schedule in week 13 — keep them ranked.
Oregon 96%
TBD
SAT OCT 10
Indiana at Nebraska
Indiana visits your schedule in week 11 — keep them ranked.
Indiana 91%
53 more games that don't move your needle
Maryland at Ohio State
Tennessee at Arkansas
Iowa at Washington
Southern Miss at Troy
Jacksonville State at Kennesaw State
New Mexico State at Florida International
South Florida at UTSA
South Alabama at Arkansas State
Sam Houston at Liberty
Missouri State at Western Kentucky
Florida State at Louisville
Washington State at Utah State
Georgia at Alabama
South Carolina at Florida
LSU at Kentucky
Texas A&M at Missouri
Texas at Oklahoma
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
Hawai'i at Arizona State
Arizona at West Virginia
UCF at Oklahoma State
Houston at Kansas State
Iowa State at BYU
Kansas at Utah
Duke at Georgia Tech
North Carolina at Pittsburgh
Syracuse at Virginia
Virginia Tech at California
Wake Forest at NC State
Illinois at Michigan State
Ball State at Northwestern
Minnesota at Purdue
Boise State at Fresno State
San Diego State at Oregon State
UConn at Temple
Tulane at Army
Charlotte at North Texas
Rice at East Carolina
UAB at Memphis
Tulsa at Navy
Air Force at Northern Illinois
Nevada at UTEP
Wyoming at San José State
Eastern Michigan at Akron
Buffalo at Toledo
Central Michigan at Ohio
Kent State at Western Michigan
Miami (OH) at Massachusetts
Old Dominion at App State
Coastal Carolina at Marshall
James Madison at Georgia Southern
Louisiana at Louisiana Tech
Stanford at Notre Dame
Based on 50,000 season simulations entering week 6, with preseason ratings projected from last season: way too early, enjoy responsibly. How the model works.