All-time ranking

Top 25 games in the database

Wins receive a small preference, but exceptional losses and ties remain eligible. Select any game for its available box score and statistics.

1979PostseasonNeutral site
W 17-16 vs. Ohio State
No. 3 USC vs. No. 1 Ohio State · 1-point margin
Ranking 48/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
82
Game score
1967Week 11Home
W 21-20 vs. UCLA
No. 1 USC vs. No. 4 UCLA · 1-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
81
Game score
1981Week 4Home
W 28-24 vs. Oklahoma
No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 Oklahoma · 4-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
80
Game score
1962PostseasonNeutral site
W 42-37 vs. Wisconsin
No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 Wisconsin · 5-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 25/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
79
Game score
1974PostseasonNeutral site
W 18-17 vs. Ohio State
No. 5 USC vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 1-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
78
Game score
2005The Rose Bowl Game presented by CitiAway
L 38-41 vs. Texas
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 1 USC · 3-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
76
Game score
Full Game · 2005 Texas vs. USC (Rose Bowl Full Game)
1976PostseasonNeutral site
W 14-6 vs. Michigan
No. 3 USC vs. No. 2 Michigan · 8-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 22/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
74
Game score
2005Week 7Away
W 34-31 vs. Notre Dame
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 USC · 3-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
74
Game score
Full Game · 2005 Notre Dame vs. USC (Regular Season Full Game)
2004Week 7Home
W 23-17 vs. California
No. 1 USC vs. No. 7 California · 6-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 24/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
73
Game score
1967Week 3Home
W 17-13 vs. Texas
No. 2 USC vs. No. 8 Texas · 4-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
73
Game score
2009Week 2Away
W 18-15 vs. Ohio State
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 3 USC · 3-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
73
Game score
Full Game · 2009 Ohio State vs. USC (Regular Season Full Game)
1978PostseasonNeutral site
W 17-10 vs. Michigan
No. 3 USC vs. No. 5 Michigan · 7-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 23/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
72
Game score
1973Week 5Away
T 7-7 vs. Oklahoma
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 USC · 0-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
72
Game score
1938PostseasonNeutral site
W 7-3 vs. Duke
No. 8 USC vs. No. 3 Duke · 4-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
72
Game score
1978Week 13Home
W 27-25 vs. Notre Dame
No. 3 USC vs. No. 10 Notre Dame · 2-point margin
Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
72
Game score
1977Week 6Home
L 20-21 vs. Alabama
No. 6 USC vs. No. 4 Alabama · 1-point margin
Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 29/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
71
Game score
1970Week 4Away
T 21-21 vs. Nebraska
No. 6 Nebraska vs. No. 5 USC · 0-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
71
Game score
1968Week 12Away
T 21-21 vs. Notre Dame
No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 USC · 0-point margin
Ranking 41/50 · Closeness 30/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
71
Game score
1967PostseasonNeutral site
W 14-3 vs. Indiana
No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Indiana · 11-point margin
Ranking 46/50 · Closeness 19/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
70
Game score
1988Week 13Away
W 31-22 vs. UCLA
No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 2 USC · 9-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 21/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
70
Game score
2016ROSE BOWL GAME PRES. BY NORTHWESTERN MUTUALNeutral site
W 52-49 vs. Penn State
No. 5 Penn State vs. No. 9 USC · 3-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 27/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
70
Game score
Full Game · 2016 Penn State vs. USC (Rose Bowl Full Game)
1968Week 10Home
W 17-13 vs. Oregon State
No. 1 USC vs. No. 13 Oregon State · 4-point margin
Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 26/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
69
Game score
1969Week 11Home
W 14-12 vs. UCLA
No. 5 USC vs. No. 11 UCLA · 2-point margin
Ranking 36/50 · Closeness 28/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
69
Game score
1968PostseasonNeutral site
L 16-27 vs. Ohio State
No. 2 USC vs. No. 1 Ohio State · 11-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 19/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 0/5
68
Game score
Full Game · 1968 USC vs. Ohio State (Bowl Full Game)
2006ROSE BOWL AT PASADENA CAAway
W 32-18 vs. Michigan
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 2 USC · 14-point margin
Ranking 47/50 · Closeness 16/30 · Overtime 0/15 · Win 5/5
68
Game score
Full Game · 2006 Michigan vs. USC (Rose Bowl Full Game)

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-week AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero ranking points.

Closeness, 30 points: the score margin is subtracted from 30, with margins of 30 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Result, 5 points: a featured-team win receives five points; losses and ties receive zero.

Regular-season rankings are matched to the AP Top 25 for the game's recorded week. Postseason games use the final regular-season AP poll published before bowl and playoff results. Overtime uses period scoring when available, then explicit overtime notes as a fallback. Older games and smaller programs may have less complete poll or period data.

USC Top 25 Games

Top 25 games in the database

How each game earns up to 100 points

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