USC football could make the College Football Playoff this season. Some outlets think the Trojans will just barely get in. Other outlets, such as CBS Sports, think the Trojans will barely miss the 12-team field.
CBS wrote, “It’s difficult to believe, but Lincoln Riley heads into Year 5 at USC without a single appearance in the CFP. Dare we say that ends this fall? The spring was notable for a slew of injuries and recoveries among projected starters, but backups received meaningful reps. The depth is there after stacking some notable recruiting classes. QB Jayden Maiava was fantastic last season in an under-the-radar showing that deserved more attention.”
CBS has USC No. 12 in the post-spring-ball rankings. It might seem that’s good enough to get into the CFP, but remember: The Group of Five gets one spot. USC will need to be No. 11 or higher to get one of the final at-large bids. USC could also get in by winning the Big Ten, but realistically, the Trojans are not the best team in the conference. The likely scenario for USC to make the CFP is for the Trojans to go 10-2 with the SEC not getting six teams into the field.
USC making the playoff is the obvious and clear goal for the Trojans in 2026. Failure to do so could mean Lincoln Riley will be unemployed in 2027, though the quality of USC’s season — 9-3 versus 7-5 — could be the ultimate deciding factor for Riley’s job status.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC left outside College Football Playoff in CBS post-spring rankings
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
