COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Lincoln Riley might finally have USC football ready to compete in the Big Ten.

Two games against Michigan have told the story of just how close the Trojans are to being what Riley envisioned when they joined the conference last summer.

A road loss in 2024 offered a reality check. A home win in 2025 offered a chance to make a statement.

Last season, USC traveled to Ann Arbor and left as a loser, where it was clear this program wasn’t ready for the physicality required in the Big Ten. Even under new leadership with Sherrone Moore taking over for Jim Harbaugh and in the midst of a rebuild, the Wolverines were the perfect team to send that message. Sure, the final scoring margin was three points, but anybody who watched that game saw that these two teams were miles apart.

See Full Page