USC rises to No. 16 in AP Top 25 during bye week
The Trojans climbed three places without playing as losses elsewhere reshaped the rankings. Their next game is at Wisconsin on Saturday.
USC rose three places to No. 16 in the AP Top 25 released Sunday, October 18, despite having the weekend off. Losses by other ranked college football teams helped lift the Trojans before their next game at Wisconsin.
It was USC’s first bye week of the 2026 season, following seven games in seven weeks. The Trojans entered the break at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play, according to On3 and 247Sports.
Why USC climbed without playing
On3 reported that five teams ranked in the previous top 10 lost over the weekend: Georgia, Texas, Notre Dame, Indiana and Alabama. Trojans Wire attributed USC’s rise largely to defeats elsewhere while the team was idle.
The AP move did not extend to every ranking. On3 reported that USC stayed at No. 15 in the Coaches Poll, while ESPN’s Football Power Index moved the Trojans up two places to No. 17. Those are separate rankings with different positions for USC.
Six Big Ten teams appeared in the new AP top 25, Trojans Wire reported. Ohio State was No. 3, Indiana No. 6 and UCLA No. 9; Iowa stood one place ahead of USC at No. 15, and Northwestern was No. 24.
Wisconsin is USC’s next opponent
USC is scheduled to visit Wisconsin on Saturday, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. Pacific time on NBC. On3 listed the Badgers at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play following a 17-7 road loss to UCLA.
That trip follows USC’s 31-23 road win over Penn State two weeks earlier, On3 reported. The Wisconsin game is the Trojans’ next chance to add an on-field result after their ranking changed during a week without a game.
Coach Lincoln Riley had welcomed the pause after the opening stretch. ‘This bye week comes at a good time for us,’ he said Tuesday, according to 247Sports. Riley said the schedule gave the team time to rest and continue developing its roster for the games ahead.
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Sources and context
- USC rises three spots to No. 16 in latest AP PollTrojans Wire (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- USC Football Top 25: Trojans rises in latest AP poll off bye weekOn3
- USC rises in AP Top 25 poll after first bye week247Sports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.