This weekend marked USC’s first off week of the 2026 season. After playing seven games in seven weeks to open the year, the break certainly came at a good time for the Trojans.

On Sunday, the latest college football AP Poll was released. Despite not playing a game, the Trojans moved up three spots, coming at No. 16 in the rankings. The rise was largely thanks to chaos around the country, with numerous other ranked teams losing while USC sat at home.

The Trojans are one of six Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25. Joining them are No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 9 UCLA, No. 15 Iowa, and No. 24 Northwestern.

USC will face each of the conference’s three teams currently ranked in the top ten during the second half of the season. First, however, the Trojans will travel on the road this Saturday to face Wisconsin. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. Pacific time/6:30 p.m. Central time on NBC.