Opportunities were squandered in crucial moments as the No. 18 USC Trojans College Football Playoff chances likely ended Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, falling 27-13 to the reigning national champions, the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers. 

Hoosiers quarterback Grant Wilson connected with his star wide receiver and one of his most reliable targets, Charlie Becker, on a 42-yard reception with 3:30 remaining to put a dagger in the Trojans CFP aspirations. 

Coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers made the game-changing plays, while the Trojans didn’t. Here’s what the Hoosiers coach said as Indiana improves to 9-1 and is in prime position to make the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Dec. 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium.  

Opening Statement

“Hard-fought game; give USC a lot of credit. It was a back-and-forth game; we made the plays in crunch time, and it's a good team win. Proud of our team,” Cignetti said.

Resilience of His Hoosiers Team 

“Our guys have really come through in tight, close games. This one ended up being a two-score game; we made some plays at the end. I had a team like that my first year at Elon, where we won games two through nine, eight in a row, and they all went down to the final play. And we’ve had a lot of close games this year,” Cignetti said. 

“And I think it’s a mark of a team that’s got a lot of grit, competitive excellence, and can play when the game’s on the line. And that’s what this team has: competitive character, and we’ve had a lot of blowout wins around here in 24 and 25. Probably three times more blowout wins than close games, but we’ve had a lot of close games this year, and we always find a way,” Cignetti added. 

Possibly Moving Up in CFP Rankings

“I haven’t seen a single score, and it really doesn’t matter who’s where. Tuesday, I guess, it would be, because it’s all going to play out on the field. There’s a lot of football left, and so I’m just proud of the team and the way we responded against a tough opponent. We had shot ourselves in the foot, had some memos in the first half, and came out and played a strong second half,” Cignetti said.

Isaiah Jones Red Zone Interception

“From my angle, you don’t get to see quite everything, but that was maybe a huge play of the night, and it reminded me of three or four other interceptions we’ve made defensively over the last three years or going back to the last 10 years. He’s a play-maker, and it was a key clutch play,” Cignetti said.   

What’s Next For USC Trojans? 

With the loss, the Trojans fall to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in Big Ten play, and to have any hope of miraculously earning a spot in the CFP, USC will need to win out with games remaining against the Maryland Terrapins (Nov. 21) and undefeated No. 4 UCLA Bruins (Nov. 28). 

The loss is also a new low for Trojans coach Lincoln Riley as he falls to 1-8 against AP Top 25 opponents during his USC tenure. After the loss, the Trojans' chances to win the Big Ten title now fall to +40000, per FanDuel Sportsbook betting odds.

The Trojans will kick off their Senior Day matchup against the Terrapins at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 3:15 p.m. PT, with the game broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

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