PFF projects that USC will make the College Football Playoff for the first time in the program’s history in 2026. The prediction is presented as part of the outlet’s broader forecasting for the upcoming college football season cycle.
Both sources frame the idea as not being universally accepted across the sport, with the broader expectation for USC varying depending on different pundits and publications. While the prediction points to USC as a likely candidate to reach the CFP in 2026, other coverage notes that USC is not a consensus pick in the way some teams are when forecasting playoff appearances.
In short, the outlets converge on the central claim: PFF expects USC to reach the CFP for the first time in 2026, while also highlighting that there is no single, widely agreed view across commentators about whether USC can achieve that outcome.
