Oregon vs USC Rivalry History, Odds & Preview: Oregon-USC 2026

The Oregon vs. USC rivalry has long been a lopsided one, with the Trojans being one of the most dominant college football powers for decades, but in recent years, the Ducks have flown high against their rival to the south and are aiming to win their fifth straight on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC) when they visit Los Angeles Memorial Stadium.

While this hasn't been a yearly rivalry, this year's edition is the third since Lincoln Riley took over in L.A., and our college football picks expect Riley to continue the trend of the Trojans losing to the Ducks.

Oregon vs USC 2026 preview

Oregon	Category	USC
Dan Lanning (50-9)	Head coach (record with school)	Lincoln Riley (39-18)
2-1	Record	3-0
1-2	ATS record	1-3
3-0	Over/Under	3-1
No. 5	SP+ ranking	No. 8
No. 6	SP+ offense	No. 1
No. 12	SP+ defense	No. 35
No. 38	SP+ special teams	No. 80

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Oregon vs USC odds

Oregon vs USC prediction 

This is just the second meeting between Oregon and USC as members of the Big Ten, and the third since Lincoln Riley took over as the Trojans' head coach. USC lost the previous two meetings against the Ducks under Riley, being outscored 78-54.

The defensive woes that plagued the Trojans in the previous two meetings against the Ducks are likely to continue again this year. Through four games, the Trojans are 1-3 ATS, due in large part to a defense ranked 90th in EPA per pass, 107th in EPA per rush, and fourth-worst in the Big Ten in havoc rate (13.5%).

And while Dante Moore and the Ducks already have a loss on their record, this is still a team with an offense ranked sixth by SP+ and capable of winning a shootout against the Trojans. USC is coming off a close win over Rutgers in which it gave up 460 yards and 35 points. And the Scarlet Knights are nowhere near as talented as Oregon, having already lost to UMass and Boston College.

For as explosive as Riley's offense is with Jayden Maiava behind center, it can't make up for its defense against teams as talented as Dan Lanning's, especially with freshman phenom Trent Mosley out.

Score prediction: Oregon 41, USC 37

Who are the stars of Oregon vs USC 2026?

• Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

The face of Lanning's program the past two seasons, Moore is projected to be a first-round pick in April. The former five-star recruit began his career at UCLA and, after an up-and-down freshman season with the Bruins, transferred to Oregon. After sitting behind Dillon Gabriel for a season, Moore hit the ground running last year and finished as the only QB in the country with an 80+% adjusted completion percentage and 6+% big-time throw rate. He's Top 10 nationally in TD passes this season (9) and has the tools to pick apart this USC defense. 

• Jayden Maiava, QB, USC

Like Moore, Maiava began his career elsewhere before transferring, sitting a season, and developing into one of the top quarterbacks in the country. After winning Mountain West Player of the Year for UNLV in 2023, Maiava hit the portal and ended up at USC, where he began the season as Miller Moss' backup before starting the final few games. In his first full season as QB1 last year, Maiava's point guard-like play helped him lead the country in QBR (91.2). A potential Top 100 pick, Maiava's pinpoint accuracy once again has him Top 10 in the country in QBR (87.4) and No. 1 in TD passes (12). He'll need a Heisman-level performance against Oregon to make up for his defense.

• Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon

Last year, Oregon had arguably the best tight end in the country in Kenyon Sadiq, who was selected 16th overall by the New York Jets. This year, the Ducks once again have a potential first-round pick at tight end in Jamari Johnson. The redshirt junior, who began his career at Louisville, was 16th in the country in receiving yards among tight ends in his first year in Eugene last season (510). And while he missed the last two games with an injury, including the upset loss to Oklahoma State, Johnson is expected to be back for the Oregon-USC rivalry game. He's the Ducks' X-factor on offense.

• Elijah Paige, OT, USC

Maiava isn't the only reason USC has one of the best offenses in the country this season; it's the big boys up front too. The Trojans have one of the country's most experienced offensive lines, and leading the way is Elijah Paige. Paige, who's allowed just one pressure in four games thus far, is set to continue USC's tradition of putting offensive tackles into the NFL. Paige will need to set the tone against an Oregon defense that was expected to have one of the top defensive lines in college football this season.

• Bear Alexander/A'Mauri Washington, IDL, Oregon

Coming into the season, Oregon was viewed as having the best defensive line in the sport because it returned all four starters. And while it hasn't been quite as productive and dominant as expected, it's still one of the best in the country, especially on the interior with Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington.

Alexander, who played at USC in 2023 and 2024, has been one of the best defensive tackles in college football this season. He's Top 20 in the country among interior defensive linemen in run stop rate (10.2%) and pass rush win rate (11.5%). Although Washington hasn't been as productive, he's a potential first-round pick and was No. 3 on the Freaks List in the summer. If they can generate consistent interior pressure, Maiava will struggle in muddy pockets.

• Jide Abasiri, IDL, USC

For as bad as USC's defense has looked under new coordinator Gary Patterson, it's found a star in Jide Abasiri. The junior has been a game-wrecker for the Trojans, with his combination of twitch and length creating mismatches inside (he's 6-foot-5, 280 pounds). Last season, he was a solid rotational player on the D-line, finishing fifth on the team in pressures (20) and seventh in run stops (12). This season, he's already halfway to those numbers through four games, ranking Top 12 nationally among interior D-linemen in pressures (10) and run stops (6). Outside of Maiava, Abasiri is the Trojans' most important player for pulling an upset.

Oregon vs USC rivalry history

Oregon	Category	USC
24	Wins	38 (1 win vacated)
4 (1998-2001, 2019-present)	Longest win streak	8 (1920-1938)
34 (1915)	Largest margin of victory	53 (1976)
731-517-46 (.583)	Program record	896-377-55 (.695)
0 (0)	Claimed national titles (recognized)	11 (9)
14	Conference championships	37
1	Heisman winners	8
11	Consensus All-Americans	86
401	Weeks in the AP Poll	831
16	Weeks at No. 1	91
41 (19-22)	Bowl games (record)	59 (36-21)
261	NFL draft picks	537
27	First-round picks	87

The Oregon-USC rivalry has been going on for over 100 years, but it's really a case of new blood vs. blue blood.

The Trojans were one of college football's premier programs for decades, claiming 11 national titles between 1928 and 2004 (with another six unclaimed titles during that stretch). Oregon remains on the hunt to claim its first-ever national title and has only won a handful of conference championships prior to 2000.

The Ducks and Trojans first played in 1915, with the second game not until 1920. Then, it was another decade before they played again in 1931. And by then, USC was on a completely different level. Over Oregon and USC's first 14 meetings, the Trojans went 11-2-1 and shut the Ducks out nine times.

Oregon had its moments between 1941 and 1971, winning eight of 16 games, but then USC became a juggernaut. From 1972 to 1993, USC claimed three national titles and 11 Pac-12 Championships; it also went 15-1-1 against Oregon.

But thanks to some strong coaching hires and a tie to Nike, Oregon has leveled up since the mid-90s and become a national power, reigniting this rivalry. Since 1994, the Ducks are 14-7 against USC and have won six of the last seven games.

Recent Oregon-USC results

History of the Oregon vs USC rivalry

When did the Oregon vs USC rivalry start?

Although USC began playing football in 1888 and Oregon not long after in 1893, the two West Coast programs didn't play each other for the first time until Nov. 8, 1915. Oregon, then known as the Webfoots, won 34-0; they wouldn't beat the Trojans again for more than a quarter century. 

The rivalry itself wouldn't take off for another 15 years, with Oregon and USC playing twice between 1915 and 1930. But conference affiliation would later lead to them playing almost annually for decades. 

How did Oregon vs USC become a rivalry?

The biggest reasons for the Oregon-USC rivalry are geography and conference ties. In 1915, shortly after its first-ever game against USC, Oregon became a founding member of the Pacific Coast Conference. Oregon, California, Washington, and Oregon Agricultural College (now known as Oregon State) were the PCC's four founding members. 

While USC remained independent initially, it would join the Pacific Coast Conference as a full-time member in 1922. Still, the programs wouldn't play as conference foes until Oct. 17, 1931, with USC winning 53-0 - its second straight shutout win in a streak of six straight shutouts.

The rivalry itself was one-sided from 1920 to 1955, with the Ducks winning just four times in 20 matchups. However, Oregon found success against USC for a time from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s under head coaches Len Casanova and Jerry Frei, though it was not a national contender.

Then, USC became a monster in 1972, and Oregon didn't stand much of a chance for basically two decades. The Ducks even lost to the Trojans on a different continent when USC beat Oregon 20-6 in Tokyo in 1985.

But Ducks head coach Rich Brooks was laying the groundwork, and in 1994 things began to change.

When did Oregon vs USC take off as a rivalry?

In Rich Brooks' 18th and final season as head coach in '94, Oregon ended a 23-year-long drought in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, upsetting No. 19 USC, 22-7. That victory propelled the Ducks to their first-ever outright conference championship and led them to reach the Rose Bowl for the first time in 37 years.

It was also the beginning of a downturn for USC football, which had already turned to John Robinson to try and lift the program back up (Robinson had previously led USC from 1976-1982 and returned in 1993). While USC managed to beat Oregon the next time they played in 1997, it fired Robinson later that year.

Brooks beating USC in 1994 helped him get the St. Louis Rams' head coaching job, and Oregon replaced him with defensive coordinator Mike Bellotti. And when Robinson was fired, USC replaced him with Paul Hackett. 

You could argue that those decisions completely flipped this rivalry. In Hackett's three seasons before he was fired at USC, he went 0-3 against Bellotti. Bellotti would turn Oregon into a power before becoming the school's athletic director in 2009 and handing the reins to his offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly. 

Meanwhile, Hackett would be replaced by Pete Carroll. Carroll brought USC back to national relevance and beat Oregon four times between 2002 and 2008, going 4-3 overall against Bellotti and Kelly.

But it's no coincidence that Oregon becoming a winner coincided with the success of its biggest booster's company. Nike co-founder Phil Knight began making contributions to his alma mater in the 1980s, and by 2023 he had donated over $1 billion to the Ducks.

Best moments in the Oregon vs USC rivalry

• Fright Night (2009)

On Halloween in 2009, Oregon had one of its brightest moments in program history. The Ducks beat No. 5 USC 47-20 behind a dominant offensive performance. It was Kelly's first game against the Trojans as head coach and Carroll's last against the Ducks. It signified a change in college football, with USC's downfall and Oregon's rise. Thanks to a game-changing offense led by LaMichael James and Jeremiah Masoli, the Ducks ran for 391 yards and put up over 600 on a USC team with title aspirations.  

• Palmer's Heisman showcase (2002)

When Carroll took over USC in 2001, the program had stumbled. The Trojans hadn't won double-digit games since 1988, and Carroll didn't improve the team in the wins column much in Year 1, going 6-6 and losing 24-22 to Oregon on a walk-off field goal. But in 2002, it became clear something had changed at USC when the Trojans went into Autzen Stadium and beat the No. 13 Ducks 44-33. Carson Palmer threw for 448 yards and five TDs that day and would win the Heisman less than two months later. USC finished 11-2 and would win the national title the next year.

• 62-51 (2012)

The old Pac-12 had some of the most electric games in the history of college football, with fast-paced offenses, star quarterbacks, and innovative play-callers. And in Kelly's final year leading Oregon, he put together a magnum opus against USC in a 62-51 win. The Ducks totaled 730 yards, including 426 on the ground, with future Heisman winner Marcus Mariota throwing four touchdowns while Kenjon Barner ran for five. On the other side, USC finished with 615 yards while Nelson Agholor, Marqise Lee, and Robert Woods combined for 24 receptions, 390 yards, and five TDs from QB Matt Barkley. 

Key figures in the Oregon vs USC rivalry

• Joey Harrington, Oregon

The 2001 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and third overall pick by the Detroit Lions, Joey Harrington's highs weren't as high as Mariota's, but he's one of the key catalysts for Oregon's rise. Harrington took over as Oregon's starter midway through 1999, and in 2000, he beat USC by throwing four touchdowns. In 2001, he led a last-second comeback to beat the Trojans on a walk-off field goal. "Captain Comeback" would go 25-3 as the Ducks' starting QB, including 2-0 against USC.

• Pete Carroll, USC

When Carroll arrived at USC, the Trojans had fallen on hard times and had won more than six games just once between 1996 and 2000. But bringing in Carroll inspired little confidence across the country; after all, he hadn't coached in college since 1983 at Pacific (CA) and had been fired as head coach by both the Jets (1994) and New England Patriots (1999). Turns out, Carroll was perfect for Los Angeles and would win two national titles and produce three Heisman winners (Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush). He would also get USC back on track against Oregon and beat the Ducks three straight times, going 4-3 overall against them.

• Mike Bellotti/Chip Kelly, Oregon

When Brooks left for the NFL, Bellotti moved from defensive coordinator to head coach. From 1995-2008, Bellotti would win 9+ games seven times, something Oregon had done just four times between 1928 and 1994. Then, when the College Football Hall of Famer stepped down, his offensive coordinator took over, and Kelly's revolutionary offense helped him go 46-7 in four seasons, winning 12 games three times, something Oregon had never previously done. The pair went 8-6 against USC overall and set up the Ducks to win five of the next six games from 2015 to 2025.

• The Johns: McKay & Robinson, USC

There's not a lot of reason to talk about the Oregon-USC rivalry during the Trojans' heydays of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s because the Ducks stood almost no chance. That's because USC had two of the greatest coaches in college football history. From 1960 to 1975, John McKay won the most games in program history (127), including four national titles. When he left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, John Robinson took over and went 67-14-2 from 1976-1982. During that stretch, USC went 10-2-1 against Oregon. And when Robinson returned in 1993, he went 2-1 against Oregon.

• Phil Knight, Oregon

Without Knight's contributions to the athletic program, does Oregon ever become a national power? The answer is no. As if the over $1 billion wasn't enough, Knight's impact on the Ducks' uniforms as a Nike school remains unmatched. Oregon is known for its unlimited combinations of uniforms, and it really became a national brand because of the look and Kelly's hyper-speed offense. Pairing the fits, the points, and the winning led to a shift in the national landscape and opened the door for a program in the Pacific Northwest to become a destination for top recruits across the country. Knight is the most important booster in the history of college football.

• All of those USC running backs

It's hard to pick just one USC running back as a key figure in this rivalry considering how many superstar backs the Trojans have had and how many ran wild against Oregon. From Mike Garrett in 1965 to Reggie Bush in 2005, USC has produced five Heisman-winning running backs and a whole lot more star ball carriers who shined in the cardinal and gold. The peak may have been in 2005 when Bush and LenDale White led USC back from down 13-0 to beat Oregon 45-13. "Thunder and Lightning" totaled 276 yards and four touchdowns that day.

Biggest upsets in Oregon vs USC history

Biggest blowouts in Oregon vs USC rivalry 

Oregon vs USC schedule & future matchups

As West Coast members of the Big Ten and under the Big Ten's schedule model, Oregon and USC play three out of every five years. However, the current schedule model ends in 2028, so no Big Ten conference games are scheduled after 2028.

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