USC is on the Right Side of History When Playing Indiana

No. 18 USC (7-2) is on their bye week, preparing for their road game at No. 6 Indiana on Nov. 14.

The Trojans conquered the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 30-18 last Saturday.

USC owns a 4-0 record against the Hoosiers, and has played on the road at Indiana just once, in 1981.

That 1981 USC team was coached by John Robinson and laden with stars, led by Heisman-winning running back Marcus Allen. Allen rushed for 2,427 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Other stars on that team included:

C Bruce Matthews

OT Don Mosebar

LB Chip Banks

S Joey Browner

LB Jack Del Rio

Back in 1981, Indiana was not even a flicker of the program they have been the last two and a half seasons. The Hoosiers were the program with many losses in college football.

Indiana was coached by ESPN Game Day legend Lee Corso and limped to a 3-8 season. 

The Hoosiers were outmatched in that contest, losing 21-0 on their home field. Allen torched the Indiana defense for 274 rushing yards as USC went on to finish 9-3.

This year’s Indiana team, under coach Curt Cignetti, is 8-1 on the season. Their lone loss came at the hands of Ohio State.

Starting quarterback Josh Hoover is banged up and had to be replaced by Grant Wilson in the Minnesota game.

Whether Cignetti makes a quarterback change in practice over the next week remains to be seen.

USC does have to worry about the Hoosiers defense, ranked in the top ten in many defensive categories, including total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, sacks, and tackles for loss.

Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava leads the Big Ten in passing yards with 2,524 yards and passing touchdowns with 20.

Maiava will have to have a clean pocket and protection to get the football to his talented freshmen receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.

The Trojans defense will have to stop Indiana running back Turbo Richard. Richard leads the Big Ten in rushing yards with 745. He has averaged 6.59 yards per carry through nine games.

It will not be easy. But the Trojans are coming off a confidence boost with the win over the Buckeyes. USC gained 338 yards of total offense against the vaunted Ohio State defense.

If USC can win out against Indiana, Maryland and UCLA, USC has a chance to shake up the College Football Playoff rankings.

That is, if the committee does the right thing and looks at the strength of schedule and signature wins.

However, in the first set of playoff rankings issued on Tuesday, Ohio State was ranked No. 12 and USC was No. 20.

With two losses, the Trojans are playing as well as anyone in the country.