RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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USC football's most important game of 2026 is against Oregon. However, if the Trojans do lose that game, they still have a path to the College Football Playoff in the Big Ten. They would likely need to beat either Ohio State or Indiana to get where they need to go. They would also need to beat Penn State and Washington, but that's a separate conversation. Purely in terms of beating one of Ohio State or Indiana, the Trojans might be interested in what happens on October 17.
USC will not play a game on that Saturday. The Trojans will be exhausted after seven consecutive weekends with a game. They will rest and recharge ... and they will very probably watch Ohio State face Indiana in what could be the 2026 Big Ten game of the year. It's a rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Championship Game, in which Indiana beat the Buckeyes , 13-10.
USC fans might ask themselves, "Which team should we want to win?" Would it benefit the Trojans more if Ohio State won, if Indiana won, or does it really matter at all? Reasonable people can and will disagree on this, but our view is simple: It's better for USC if Ohio State wins this game.
Our explanation is as follows: USC hosts Ohio State but visits Indiana. Being brutally honest and realistic, USC has a better chance of beating OSU than Indiana. Therefore, anything which increases the Trojans' chances of being able to beat Ohio State is good for the Men of Troy.
USC hosts Ohio State on October 31, and then plays Indiana two weeks later on November 14. With OSU and Indiana playing on October 17, a Buckeye win will take some pressure off Ohio State when it comes to the Los Angeles Coliseum two weeks later. An Indiana win will make the USC game hugely important for Ohio State, maybe a must-win and certainly a more urgent one.
Ohio State beating Indiana will make OSU's game at USC less existential and urgent. Therefore, USC should want the Buckeyes to handle the Hoosiers in mid-October.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten season preview: Should USC root for Ohio State vs Indiana?
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