USC moved up one spot to No. 8 in the second set of College Football Playoff rankings.

With a 41-35 win over Cal this past Saturday, the Trojans moved to 8-1 on the season. In jumping up to No. 8 in the CFP ranking, the Trojans matched their highest ranking since they were created in 2014. USC was ranked eighth in the Dec. 3, 2017 Selection Day rankings.

 

Lincoln Riley, who previously led Oklahoma to three College Football Playoff appearances in seven seasons, is the first USC head coach to start his career 8-1 since John Robinson started 8-1 in 1976. Riley is also the first Trojan head coach other than Pete Carroll to start any season 8-1 or better since Larry Smith went 10-0 in 1988.

The last win wasn’t without drama, as the Trojans had to survive a fourth-quarter rally from the Golden Bears, but a win is a win.

“We know we’re going to have to improve,” Riley said after the game. “If you can improve by winning, you’ll be there in the end, and in my experience with these things, you get to the end and nobody remembers how. You either found a way to win them, or you didn’t, and the reality is this team is 8-1 with everything in front of us.

The Trojans have three games remaining on their regular-season schedule, with another home contest against Colorado on the docket for Friday (6:30 p.m. PT, FS1). They close out the 2022 regular season with a trip to the Rose Bowl to face UCLA on Nov. 19 and then Senior Day at home against Notre Dame on Nov. 26.

The Pac-12 Football Championship Game in Las Vegas is scheduled for Dec. 4, two days prior to Selection Day.

Here’s the rest of the Top 25:

  1. Georgia
  2. Ohio State
  3. Michigan
  4. TCU
  5. Tennessee
  6. Oregon
  7. LSU
  8. USC
  9. Alabama
  10. Clemson
  11. Mississippi
  12. UCLA
  13. Utah
  14. Penn State
  15. North Carolina
  16. NC State
  17. Tulane
  18. Texas
  19. Kansas State
  20. Notre Dame
  21. Illinois
  22. UCF
  23. Florida State
  24. Kentucky
  25. Washington