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The No. 20 USC Trojans are set to battle the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers in a crucial late-season matchup that could have major College Football Playoff implications for coach Lincoln Riley and his team.
Indiana, under coach Curt Cignetti, won a national championship last season but saw its perfect season ended by No. 12 Ohio State. The Hoosiers have shown vulnerability recently, needing overtime to defeat Michigan and Minnesota in their last two games.
Riley praised Indiana's talent and depth. "Really good football team. Definitely one of the more explosive offenses in the country. They return a lot of good players. They have multiple great wide receivers and an experienced quarterback. They're good at the running back position and offensive line," he said. "It's just a really good group, and there's a lot of continuity in that group and I would say a lot of the same things about them defensively. They have a really strong defense that returns a lot of guys from a year ago. It's a very deep talented front. It's probably one of the deepest groups that we've played all year."
He also noted the Hoosiers' disruptive defense. "They've created a lot of havoc and they do a nice job in their coverages. And you look at their group it's literally junior, senior, junior, senior. Just literally across the board and it shows up on tape," Riley continued.
Indiana's scoring offense is tied with USC's at 32.4 points per game. The Hoosiers have dealt with an injury to quarterback Josh Hoover, who has thrown for 1,860 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. In relief, Grant Wilson has completed 13 of 22 passes for 230 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions, with most of his production coming in the overtime win over Minnesota. Indiana has not publicly named a starting quarterback, so USC is preparing for both.
"We've had a chance to see both of these guys but we've got to be ready for both. They have their strengths and weaknesses and certainly some things that favor the other. We've got to be ready for them and potentially see both guys. They're both very capable of running their offense," Riley said on Monday.
A win would give USC an inside track to the Big Ten Championship Game, while a third loss would not completely eliminate the Trojans but would end any hot-seat conversations surrounding Riley.
Key Analysis
USC faces a formidable test against an Indiana team that boasts continuity and depth on both sides of the ball. The Hoosiers' ability to generate havoc on defense and explosive plays on offense will challenge the Trojans. With uncertainty at quarterback for Indiana, Riley's preparation for both Hoover and Wilson could be pivotal. The outcome may define USC's season and Riley's future.
Originally reported by headtopics.