USC Trojans Enter Week 7 Bye After 31-23 Road Win at Penn State No. 19 USC Trojans head into their week 7 bye after a 31-23 road win at Penn State, as several Big Ten and SEC results could reshape the AP Poll rankings. The No. 19 USC Trojans are one of four Big Ten teams with a bye in week 7 of the 2026 college football season, following a 31-23 road win over Penn State at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, on October 10, 2026. The Trojans, coached by Lincoln Riley, had played seven straight games before the break, and the timing of the bye comes as the team looks to build on its latest result. USC opened the season in the top 15 of the AP Poll but dropped as far as No. 19 after a week 4 loss to Oregon. The win at Penn State halted that slide and gave the Trojans a second straight victory away from home in Big Ten play.USC Bye Week Comes at Right TimeSeven consecutive games have taken a toll on rosters across the conference, and USC is no exception. The bye gives Riley and his staff a week to recover before the final stretch of the Big Ten schedule.The Trojans fell out of the top 15 after the Oregon defeat but have steadied themselves since. Their 31-23 win over Penn State in Happy Valley was one of the more notable road results of the week 6 slate.USC is joined by three other Big Ten programs in taking week 7 off. The break also gives the Trojans a chance to watch several ranked teams face difficult matchups that could affect the AP Poll.Texas and Florida Meet in AustinTexas and coach Steve Sarkisian are 1-1 against Florida since joining the SEC. The Longhorns enter the matchup after a sloppy loss to rivals Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where quarterback Arch Manning threw two big touchdown passes but also committed costly turnovers.Florida is desperate for a win after dropping two straight games. The hype that followed an upset of No. 4 Ole Miss has turned into doubt, and the Gators lost starting quarterback Aaron Philo to injury. Backup Tramell Jones is expected to start on Saturday, though a final decision will be made before kickoff, according to On3 reporter Pete Nakos.A Florida upset in Austin would likely drop the Longhorns below the top 15 with two losses to unranked teams.Quarterback Injuries Shape Big Ten and SEC GamesUCLA will be without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the rest of the season after an injury sustained in the Bruins win over Oregon. Ty Dieffenbach, who replaced Iamaleava after his struggles, will take over against Wisconsin.Wisconsin has slowly climbed back after a season-opening loss to No. 2 Notre Dame. Since then, coach Luke Fickell and the Badgers have won four straight, including a big road win at Penn State. If Wisconsin can pressure Dieffenbach and halt the Bruins powerful rushing attack, an upset is possible.Tennessee has bounced back with two straight wins after a close loss to Texas and now faces Alabama on the third Saturday in October. The Crimson Tide lost a close game to No. 1 Georgia a week ago but showcased their talent. An Alabama win could send Tennessee down with two losses and open the way for USC to rise in the rankings.Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor was downgraded to doubtful ahead of Saturdays matchup with LSU. The Bulldogs loss would likely push them out of the rankings and affect coach Lane Kiffin and his team, who are looking to bounce back from an overtime loss to No. 15 Kentucky.Ole Miss bounced back with a big win over a struggling Vanderbilt team after a major slip-up in Gainesville against the Gators. If the Rebels can dominate Missouri on Saturday, the Tigers will likely slip out of the top 20, though Missouri has already produced a few surprises this year.