The USC Trojans enter the 2026 season with aspirations to reach the College Football Playoff, an expectation that fans are desperately hoping that the team reaches in what will be the fifth year under coach Lincoln Riley. In his four seasons as coach of the Trojans, Riley has come just short of reaching the CFP on two separate occasions. One of those was with former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams in 2022, losing to the Utah Utes in the Pac-12 championship game. The other was last season. Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Trojans finished with a 9-4 overall record in 2025. Three of those four losses came on the road during the regular season against ranked opponents.…