Michigan football and USC are two of college football's blue bloods. Up until recently, the only time these two teams met was in the Rose Bowl. USC would represent the Pac-10, and Michigan would represent the Big Ten.
It was always fun when two teams from opposite parts of the country would meet in a special venue like the Rose Bowl. However, now with conference realignment shaking things up, USC is now part of the Big Ten, which means we get this special matchup as a conference rivalry moving forward. This has been a pretty even series over the years, with both teams seeing their ups and downs. Let's take a look at the numbers, one special game from last season, and a look at what the future holds in this conference rivalry.
All-time series record: USC leads 6-5
Most recent meeting: Michigan won 27-24 in 2024
First meeting: Michigan won 49-0 in 1947
Largest margin of victory: Michigan 49-0, USC two wins by 14 in 2003 and 2006
Favorite game from the series: Michigan won 27-24 in 2024
Michigan vs/ USC in 2024 was as exciting a game as you can have in college football. This game was a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish, and could not have ended better for Wolverines fans.
The Trojans entered the game with a record of 2-0 and ranked 11th. Michigan football entered the game at 2-1 and ranked 18th. The game started with Sherrone Moore making two huge decisions in the first quarter by going for it on fourth down twice in Michigan's territory. After converting the second, fourth down conversion, Kalel Mullings took a handoff 53 yards for the first touchdown of the game.
The Michigan defense stifled the USC offense the entire first half. Donovan Edwards added a 41-yard touchdown run for Michigan, and the Wolverines entered halftime up 14-3.
The action was just getting going as the second half would bring us plenty of highs and lows for each team. USC took their opening drive of the second half and marched right down the field to put their first touchdown of the day on the board. Michigan went three and out on its next possession, and the momentum had shifted completely in the direction of USC.
However, on USC's next possession, Will Johnson intercepted Miller Moss and took it to the house for a Wolverine touchdown, pushing their lead to 20-10. Two USC touchdowns gave them the lead 24-20 with six minutes left. Both offenses went three-and-out, and it set up Michigan for a drive that will always be remembered in Big House lore.
Michigan sat at its 21-yard line with 2:21 on the clock, facing a third-and-one. Usually, it would make sense to have a pass-heavy attack in this situation, as they had to drive nearly 80 yards to tie it up, but this Michigan offense had 32 yards of passing up to this point in the game, and struggled for every one of those yards.
Instead, Michigan handed it off to Mullings, who ripped off a 65-yard run down to the USC 16-yard line. This would eventually set up a fourth and goal from the USC one-yard line with 41 seconds left. Michigan went I-formation and ran power to the left side. Mullings found the end zone behind a great Max Bredeson lead block, to give Michigan football the lead 27-24.
The U-M defense turned USC over on downs, and the Wolverines sealed the thrilling victory. Some notable performances from the game included Alex Orji going 7/12 for 32 yards, Mullings rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns, Edwards rushing for 74 yards and one touchdown, Jyaire Hill and Mason Graham both with six tackles.
Future outlook
Michigan will play USC on October 11th this upcoming year in Los Angeles. The next game they have scheduled against each other will not be until 2028. Fans of USC are starting to grow a little impatient with Lincoln Riley. It seems that the product on the field has not been what they expected when he was hired in 2022.
However, the Trojans are still recruiting at a high level, and I believe Riley has them going in the right direction. They will have lots of success under him as their head coach.
Assuming Bryce Underwood is the starter for Michigan this season, this will be a huge test for him on the road. This will certainly be a primetime game, or Big Noon kickoff, which means all eyes will be on this game nationally. This is a game that just looks beautiful with both teams' jerseys and helmets on the field at the same time. College football royalty at its finest.