USC football’s greatest moments against every Big Ten school
USC has so many great football moments against Big Ten schools for an obvious reason: The Rose Bowl, the game which is supremely important to USC fans and has been a centerpiece of the lives of Trojan fans for generations, has normally been played against Big Ten opponents.
The Trojans’ move to the Big Ten is something USC fans want, but there is a bittersweet element to this change, as we noted days ago:
“With the Trojans moving into the Big Ten, we’re not going to see Rose Bowls between USC and Ohio State or Michigan anymore, barring an unlikely plot twist in which two conference teams somehow meet in the quarterfinals of the 12-team College Football Playoff. That seems next to impossible, but maybe the SEC will have an unexpectedly awful year and the Big Ten will put five teams in. Who knows?”
While we reflect on those points, we can at least turn our attention to the history books and consider USC football’s greatest on-field moments against each of the Big Ten schools it has played:
MINNESOTA: 1979
Charles White’s Heisman Trophy season was a year in which USC finished No. 2 in the polls. The 48-14 win over Minnesota helped the Trojans produce one of their finest seasons ever.
PURDUE: 1976
USC finished No. 2 in the country at the end of the 1976 season. Ricky Bell was the star tailback on that Trojan team. He and USC went into West Lafayette and beat Purdue, 31-13.
NEBRASKA: 1969
USC’s 1969 team finished third in the national polls. A 31-21 win at Bob Devaney’s Nebraska team helped the Trojans maintain their place as a college football superpower. Nebraska finished No. 11 that year.
Get more Nebraska news, analysis, and opinions at Cornhuskers Wire
MICHIGAN STATE: 1967
Michigan State had an elite program in the mid-1960s under coach Duffy Daugherty. Going into East Lansing and winning a tough 21-17 game in 1967 helped USC and John McKay win the national championship.
Get more Michigan State news, analysis, and opinions at Spartans Wire
ILLINOIS: 2008
USC beat the Illini in the 2008 Rose Bowl, 49-17. The forced fumble above was the key play of the game.
INDIANA: 1968
USC beat Indiana, 14-3, in the 1968 Rose Bowl to seal John McKay’s second national championship with the Trojans.
NORTHWESTERN: 1996
USC beat Northwestern, 41-32, in a wide-open Rose Bowl. Keyshawn Johnson did his thing against the 1995 Big Ten champions.
IOWA: 2003
USC hammered Iowa, 38-17, to win the 2003 Orange Bowl and launch the Pete Carroll dynasty. Palmer played his last game as a Trojan, capping his 2002 Heisman Trophy season.
Get more Iowa news, analysis, and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire
PENN STATE: 2009
The amazing 2017 Rose Bowl comeback against Penn State was thrilling and memorable, but this was the bigger game and the bigger achievement: the 2009 Granddaddy versus the Nittany Lions. The 2008 USC team had a legitimate claim to the national championship. It’s too bad the four-team playoff didn’t exist back then.
Get more Penn State news, analysis, and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire
WISCONSIN: 1963
The 1963 Rose Bowl secured John McKay’s first national title as USC head coach. It was a classic game in which the Trojans prevailed 42-37 and held off a furious, late comeback by Wisconsin QB Ron Vander Kelen. It’s one of the greatest Rose Bowls and college football games ever played.
Get more Wisconsin news, analysis, and opinions on Badgers Wire
UCLA: 1967
UCLA will join the Trojans in the Big Ten, so we have to include the Bruins here. There can be only one answer: The 1967 USC-UCLA game is a classic and easily the best USC-UCLA football game of all time.
MICHIGAN: 2004
USC’s 28-14 win over Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl clinched Pete Carroll’s first national championship. LSU won the BCS title, but USC was first in the Associated Press season-ending poll. That’s a valid national title from where we sit.
Get more Michigan news, analysis, and opinions on Wolverines Wire
Get more LSU news, analysis, and opinions on LSU Tigers Wire
OHIO STATE: 1973
USC 42, Ohio State 17. The Trojans demolished the Buckeyes in the 1973 Rose Bowl to complete a perfect season and establish themselves as the greatest USC football team of all time.
Get more Ohio State news, analysis, and opinions on Buckeyes Wire
RUTGERS AND MARYLAND: NONE
USC has never played Rutgers or Maryland in football.
Get more Rutgers news, analysis, and opinions on Rutgers Wire
