USC — Big Ten
HC
Lincoln Riley · Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum · Los Angeles, CA · 77,500 cap
PPA off / def
0.34 / 0.15
2025
Class rank
#1
class of 2026
Returning PPA
59%
returning production
vs Ohio State — USC leads 13–10
| 2017 |
OSU W 24–7 | Columbus |
| 2009 |
OSU L 15–18 | Columbus |
| 2008 |
OSU L 3–35 | away |
| 1990 |
OSU L 26–35 | Columbus |
| 1989 |
OSU L 3–42 | away |
| 1984 |
OSU L 17–20 | away |
| 1979 |
OSU L 16–17 | away |
| 1974 |
OSU L 17–18 | away |
| 1973 |
OSU W 42–21 | away |
| 1972 |
OSU L 17–42 | away |
| + 14 earlier meetings in archive |
2026 schedule
2025 results (9–4)
Statistical comps — 2025 USC's closest analogs
Nearest neighbors by z-scored success rate, explosiveness, run rate & havoc (offense + defense), 2015–25.
2025 leaders
Transfer portal — 2026 (9 in / 22 out)
Origins
Built on tailbacks and swagger. McKay's four national titles and the Student Body Right sweep made USC the West's answer to the industrial powers, and the program has produced more Heismans than almost anyone.
Founded 1880 · Founded by Methodist settlers in a Los Angeles of 11,000 people · first football 1888 · defined by John McKay
All-time record
All-time
815–345–41
1915–2025
Win %
69.6%
111 seasons played
Winning seasons
87
78% of seasons
By level: ii/iii 8–8–1 (1915–1921) · FBS 807–337–40 (1922–2025)
| Best seasons | W | L | Conference |
|---|
| 2004 | 13 | 0 | Pac-10 |
| 1972 | 12 | 0 | Pac-8 |
| 2008 | 12 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 2005 | 12 | 1 | Pac-10 |
| 2003 | 12 | 1 | Pac-10 |
Season records from CollegeFootballData, which is why the span starts at 1915 — that is where its coverage of this program begins, not necessarily the first year it fielded a team.
Play-calling tendencies (2025 · garbage time excluded)
| Situation | Plays | Run % | Success % | Nat'l | Avg yds | Expl % |
|---|
| 1st down | 371 | 57% |
51% | 5 of 136 | 7.1 | 16% |
| 2nd down | 247 | 43% |
43% | 47 of 136 | 6.6 | 16% |
| 3rd & short (≤3) | 38 | 66% |
76% | — | 7.1 | 24% |
| 3rd & medium (4–7) | 45 | 29% |
56% | — | 9.2 | 18% |
| 3rd & long (8+) | 57 | 19% |
35% | — | 9.3 | 25% |
| 4th down | 22 | 36% |
64% | — | 6.2 | 9% |
143 drives · 52% ended in points · 7.1 plays and 52.6 yards per drive · 1.95 PPA per drive
Success: 50% of yardage needed on 1st, 70% on 2nd, 100% on 3rd/4th. Explosive: 12+ yd rush / 16+ yd pass. National rank is shown only for 1st and 2nd down, where every team has 100+ plays; the later buckets average 18-43 and a rank there would be noise.
League leaderboard →Most valuable plays (by PPA, 2025)
| Wk | Opp | Play | Yds | PPA |
|---|
| 1 | Missouri State |
Jayden Maiava pass complete to Eli Sanders for 73 yds for a TD (Ryon Sayeri KICK) |
73 | 6.70 |
| 1 | Missouri State |
King Miller run for 75 yds for a TD (Ryon Sayeri KICK) |
75 | 6.08 |
| 2 | Georgia Southern |
Jayden Maiava pass complete to Makai Lemon for 74 yds for a TD (Ryon Sayeri KICK) |
74 | 6.01 |
| 1 | Missouri State |
Jayden Maiava pass complete to Lake McRee for 64 yds for a TD (Ryon Sayeri KICK) |
64 | 5.15 |
| 2 | Georgia Southern |
Jayden Maiava pass complete to Makai Lemon for 62 yds for a TD (Ryon Sayeri KICK) |
62 | 4.95 |
| 8 | Notre Dame |
Jayden Maiava pass complete to Ja'Kobi Lane for 59 yds for a TD (Ja'Kobi Lane pass to for … |
59 | 4.84 |
| 7 | Michigan |
King Miller run for 49 yds to the MICH 19 for a 1ST down |
49 | 4.71 |
| 5 | Illinois |
Jayden Maiava pass complete to Makai Lemon for 29 yds to the ILL 33 for a 1ST down |
29 | 4.12 |