One huge win down, two to go.
That’s the only path remaining to the College Football Playoff for USC and coach Lincoln Riley after the Trojans dispatched then-No. 2 Ohio State two weeks ago.
Beating the Buckeyes left USC on the cusp of contention for the 12-team playoff even though the Trojans checked in at No. 20 in the initial CFP rankings and rose just two spots after a bye last week.
What’s important is that the No. 18 Trojans (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) have two massive opportunities remaining on their schedule, starting Saturday against No. 9 Indiana (8-1, 5–1) at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
If USC can notch the best road win of Riley’s Trojans tenure and then dispatch Maryland at the Coliseum next weekend as expected, it would set up a gigantic rivalry showdown against No. 4 UCLA two days after Thanksgiving.
Just keep winning and the Trojans will hurdle teams like tight end Mark Bowman jumping over Ohio State’s Jaylen McClain at the Coliseum.
“It’s where you want to be, right here in November and kind of that stretch run with everything sitting in front of you,” Riley said. “We’ve worked hard, it hasn’t been perfect but there’s been a lot more good than bad, and that’s why we’re one of the few teams that sits here right now controlling our destiny in so many ways.”
Here are five things to watch when the Trojans face the Hoosiers in a game kicking off at 12:30 p.m. PST on CBS:
Quarterback uncertainty
USC could face another backup quarterback Saturday.
The Trojans have had mixed results in those scenarios, losing to Oregon after Dylan Raiola replaced Dante Moore and beating Ohio State after Luke Fahey started the game in place of injured Julian Sayin.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti wouldn’t say whether he’d go with struggling starter Josh Hoover or backup Grant Wilson, who entered in the second half against Minnesota two weeks ago after Hoover took a big hit and rallied the Hoosiers to a 23-16 overtime victory.
Hoover isn’t listed on the Big Ten availability report, meaning he’s healthy enough to play. But will he?
Riley suggested that it doesn’t matter who takes the snaps for the Hoosiers.
“At the end of the day, it looks like they’ve got an offensive system they believe in,” Riley said. “I doubt that we’re going to all of a sudden see some radically different offense based on who the quarterback is. … We’ve got to go play really good defense no matter who’s in there.”
A new winning formula?
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava focused on a short passing attack against Ohio State, leading to one of his better games.
Of course, it always helps when you have players like wide receiver Trent Mosley and Bowman, who can turn short passes into huge gains. Mosley produced a 69-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown, and Bowman hurdled his way to a 70-yard reception.
“I think it was a pretty cool game plan,” Maiava said of using the short passing game.
With the benefit of extra rest, Riley said Maiava was now the healthiest he had been all season.
“He’s ready to roll,” Riley said, “and I think he’s gearing up to play extremely well in this last stretch.”
Active recovery
USC will be coming off its second bye week of the season, and the first one didn’t go so well.
Last month, the Trojans got manhandled on the road by Wisconsin after their first extended break. That prompted Riley to adjust how his team handled having two weeks before facing Indiana.
Having the other bye only a few weeks ago has resulted in a fresher team, Riley said, allowing the Trojans to be more aggressive in how they practiced and managed their schedule.
“I think it’s fair to say we’re quite a bit further ahead,” Riley said, “than we were at this point before playing Wisconsin.”
A fresh situation
While Mosley, Bowman and a slew of other freshmen have made huge contributions for USC this season, they have never faced big college games in November.
Riley said they’re ready based on the experience of having played Oregon and Ohio State at the Coliseum and Penn State on the road.
“Like anything, the more you’re in it, the better,” Riley said, “and we’re a pretty battle-tested group right now.”
Injury report
Indiana’s leading rusher, Turbo RIchard, won’t play because of an undisclosed injury, a huge blow to a Hoosiers offense that will also be missing starting right guard Joe Brunner.
That means Indiana will probably rely more heavily on running back Lee Beebe Jr., who is averaging 79.4 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.
USC appears relatively healthy, with no new significant injuries.
