Although Big Ten Media Days begin on Tuesday, July 28, there is no official media preseason poll conducted by the conference. One of the major unofficial preseason polls is held by Cleveland.com, and the USC Trojans came in at No. 4 before 2026 officially kicks off.Ranking USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans at No. 4 feels relatively fair considering the Indiana's surge to the top of the conference combined with the high expectations that surround both the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes.Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) talks with Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectBiggest USC Trojans Takeaway From Big Ten Preseason PollOhio State (No. 1), Oregon (No. 2), and Indiana (No. 3) are the three teams above the Trojans in the preseason poll, and USC faces each of those top three programs on the field during the regular season. Will Riley and the Trojans be able to navigate such a gauntlet of a conference schedule? The Oregon and Ohio State games are at home for USC, but the Trojans will leave the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to take on Indiana.The Buckeyes, Ducks, and Hoosiers all made the College Football Playoff ago, and Indiana won the national titleOhio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pressures Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectBig Ten Preseason Media PollOnly Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana received first-place votes in the Cleveland.com preseason media poll. Here are all 18 Big Ten teams ranked before the fall:1. Ohio State Buckeyes2. Oregon Ducks3. Indiana Hoosiers4. USC Trojans 5. Michigan Wolverines6. Penn State Nittany Lions7. Washington Huskies8. Iowa Hawkeyes9. Illinois Fighting Illini10. Minnesota Golden Gophers11. Nebraska Cornhuskers12. Wisconsin Badgers13. UCLA Bruins14. Northwestern Wildcats15. Maryland Terrapins16. Michigan State Spartans17. Rutgers Scarlet Knights18. Purdue BoilermakersImplications on USC Trojans' College Football Playoff ChancesIf USC does finish fourth in the Big Ten, there is a non-zero chance that the Trojans are in the CFP. In the first iteration of the 12-team field, the Big Ten sent Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, and Indiana, so four teams from one conference has been seen before.Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (wearing white visor) celebrates along with defensive end coach Shaun Nua after kicker Ryon Sayeri (48) hit a 54-yard field goal in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectCan USC make it into the postseason with three losses? If not, then the Trojans have to knock off at least one of Oregon, Ohio State, or Indiana while remaining perfect against all other opponents. However, if USC can win two out of the three toughest games on the schedule, Riley and company could give themselves a bit more breathing room.When it comes to contenders for the Big Ten title, the consensus around USC feels like the Trojans are still on the outside yet first in line to be let in. The Cleveland.com preseason media poll is only one projection, though, and few people expected the run that Indiana went on in 2025, winning the Big Ten and running the table through the CFP. Meanwhile, Ohio State surprised in 2024 after losing two games in the regular season and then storming through the new playoff bracket before winning the national title.The Trojans could be a surprise team USC, especially thanks to new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson. Combined with Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava spending another year under the tutelage of Riley, watch out for USC come the fall.Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow