After a promising 4-0 start, USC has been booted from the AP college football rankings following its Week 5 loss to Illinois . The Trojans remain in a strong position early in their second season in the Big Ten, but with two tough matchups looming, the last-second loss was a truly heartbreaking result.

With wins over Michigan State and Purdue, USC is one of just two teams with multiple Big Ten victories entering Week 6. Beginning the year with a 2-1 conference record is a step up from where the team was in 2024, even if the two wins came against the bottom feeders of the league.

At first glance, USC's two-point loss on the road is nothing to scoff at. Illinois entered the game ranked No. 23, but was just at No. 9 the previous week before tumbling after a crushing defeat to Indiana. The

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