SCHEDULE MYTH: USC's' Playoff Hopes Are High Despite ‘A Tough Path

The Trojans are gearing up for a high-stakes 2026 season as national pundits rank their schedule among the toughest in college football—does it really matter for their playoff dreams? Marc Kulkin breaks down where USC stands among top contenders like Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio State,, detailing pivotal matchups against Oregon, Washington, Penn State, and Ohio State at the Coliseum. Position battles heat up as Marc also assesses the Trojans’ quarterback depth, defensive line upgrades, and lingering concerns at linebacker and safety. Listener questions spotlight USC’s recruiting resurgence in California, the impact of Chad Bowden’s strategy, and the future roles for newcomers like Vlad Dyakonov. Can Lincoln Riley’s squad silence critics who doubt their physicality in the Big Ten? Get expert insights, fan perspectives, and everything you need to know about USC’s path to the College Football Playoff. #USCTrojans #USCFootball #USCRecruiting #AlifeletiTuihalamaka #RoyeOliver #MakaiBrown #IsiahVandermade #MarcusFakatou #JamieonWinfield #LukeWafle #NCAA #LincolnRiley #KingMiller #WaymondJordan #Jayden Maiava #OhioState #Oregon, #BigTenfootball #USCrecruiting  #Collegefootballplayoffs Everydayer Club  If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonusc.supercast.com/  Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) LISTEN: APPLE: https://apple.co/3Aveb9o SPOTIFY: https://spoti.fi/3Reye1r GOOGLE: https://bit.ly/3bHmlAT Follow Marc! TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MarcKulkinCaIt Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.