​The USC Trojans must secure a spot in the College Football Playoff this season. That is the clear objective and the widely held expectation around campus and in the national dialogue. Lincoln Riley has now had four chances to push USC into playoff contention, and those attempts have not come to fruition. Since the playoff era began in 2014, USC has failed to reach the tournament, going 0-for-12 in appearances. With the pressure mounting, it will only intensify after Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams selected USC as a playoff team. Adams joined USA TODAY Sports college football writer Blake Toppmeyer in offering playoff projections before the 2026 season commenced. Adams expressed strong confidence in USC’s prospects, while Toppmeyer was noticeably less enthused.
Adams’ projection: Southern Cal. In contrast, Toppmeyer responded with disbelief, nearly shouting, “Noooooooo. You blew it! There goes our perfect bracket. This pick shocks me. Actually, no it doesn’t. You got sucked in by USC, once again. Sure, a lot of talent returns, and maybe Gary Patterson will improve the defense, but look at the schedule. It includes: Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana. Too much schedule.” Even though the exchange was playful, it underscored the perennial scrutiny USC faces when projecting a playoff run.
Despite the nickname debate—USC fans do not typically refer to their school as “Southern Cal”—the sentiment behind Adams’ selection resonated across Trojan faithful. Fans of all generations hope his forecast proves accurate. In recent memory, USC football has largely been defined by its post-Pete Carroll era, with notable exceptions: the 2016 and 2017 campaigns under Sam Darnold, which yielded a Rose Bowl victory and a Pac-12 championship—arguably the program’s sole conference title since Carroll’s departure. Those moments stand as rare bright spots in a span that otherwise has seen limited sustained success at the highest level of college football.
Now the question looms: can Lincoln Riley finally translate the immense talent and elevated expectations into a genuine push for the playoff? The longer Riley’s teams fall short of the playoffs, the harder it becomes to argue that he is the savior USC fans have long awaited to restore the program to its former mountaintop status. The calculus for Riley is simple in theory but demanding in practice: assemble a resilient defense, navigate a demanding schedule, and deliver the decisive wins that elevate USC back into the national playoff conversation.
This discussion unfolds amid broader context about the program’s trajectory since Carroll’s era. The 2016 and 2017 seasons remain the exceptions that prove the rule: inconsistent performance, high hopes, and a struggle to sustain elevated levels of success year after year. The 2026 season, with its mix of returning talent and new challenges, will be another proving ground for Riley. If USC falters again, the critique will sharpen—will the program ever recapture the dominance that once defined it, or will it remain locked in a cycle of near-misses and rebuilding efforts?
The original reporting on this topic appeared on Trojans Wire, where a Tennessee-based writer forecast USC’s playoff fate as part of an SEO-focused breakdown. Whether that projection proves correct remains to be seen, but the underlying reality is clear: the USC program is in a critical window. The season ahead could redefine the legacy of Lincoln Riley and determine whether the Trojans can finally ascend back to college football’s elite echelons or whether this era becomes another chapter of high expectations followed by unfinished business.