The Big Ten matchups this weekend include a top-25 clash in Los Angeles, as No. 17 USC hosts No. 23 Iowa.
For both teams, it’s a must-win moment as the regular season enters crunch time and playoff hopes become the focal point. A loss in Week 12 would most likely close the door on any College Football Playoffs nod for the Hawkeyes or Trojans.
Advertisement
It’s also an interesting game due to one of Southern California’s more uncommon occurrences: rain.
The weather forecast calls for a 100% chance of showers, which has been steadily falling all day Friday and is expected to continue into Saturday. Storm fronts this magnitude and pace often create a surge of saturated unknowns across the offense, defense, and special teams.
Oddly enough, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will actually look like a typical Big Ten battle in the Novembers of yesteryear. Three yards and a cloud of dust, or in this case, mud.
Will that play a factor in the outcome?
Advertisement
While foresight and guessing will keep most fans occupied, at the end of all the probabilities, game plans, time differences, 2019 reflections (the last meeting, when Iowa took down USC in the Holiday Bowl) and CFP dreams lies the future, where one of these teams has a dominant lead in the 2026 recruiting rankings.
Take a look…
18. Nebraska – 167.62 points
Oct 6, 2018; Madison, WI, USA; A Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
17. Maryland – 180.74 points
A detailed view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet.
16. UCLA – 186.69 points
Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins helmets during pregame warmups before playing the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl.
15. Wisconsin – 192.72 points
Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Wisconsin Badgers football helmet on the sidelines during the game against the Miami (OH) RedHawks at Camp Randall Stadium.
14. Northwestern – 193.63 points
Aug 30, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Northwestern Wildcats helmet during warmups before the game against Tulane Green Wave at Yulman Stadium.
13. Purdue – 195.17 points
Nov 18, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; A detail view of a Purdue Boilermakers helmet on the sideline during a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field.
12. Rutgers – 208.51 points
Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detailed view of a Rutgers Scarlet Knights helmet during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field.
11. Penn State – 208.88 points
Nov 17, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium.
10. Michigan State – 210.10 points
Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium.
9. Iowa – 214.04 points
An Iowa Hawkeyes helmet.
8. Indiana – 218.35 points
Nov 9, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; A view of Indiana Hoosiers helmet before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
7. Minnesota – 221.98 points
A Minnesota Golden Gophers helmet sits on the sidelines.
6. Illinois – 223.15 points
An Illinois Fighting Illini helmet sitting on confetti after the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium.
5. Washington – 238.18 points
Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Detailed view of Washington Huskies helmet during the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium.
4. Michigan – 274.29 points
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – SEPTEMBER 3: View of a Michigan Wolverines football helmet before their game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium on September 3, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
3. Ohio State – 290.88 points
Oct 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes helmets sit on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
2. Oregon – 293.05 points
Sep 24, 2022; Pullman, Washington, USA; Oregon Ducks helmets sit during a game against the Washington State Cougars in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium.
1. USC – 304.34 points
Data courtesy 247Sports rankings.
Data courtesy 247Sports rankings.
This article originally appeared on The List Wire: Iowa vs. USC: Which team leads in 2026 Big Ten recruiting rankings?
