Teams that Clemson Football has played, but never beaten

USC Trojans

The team that legally owns the rights to call itself USC is one of the programs that Clemson has played but has never beaten. Founded in 1888, the Trojans are a bonafide blue blood football program.

The Trojans have eleven claimed national titles and 39 conference titles. Those conference titles were in some iteration of the Pacific Athletic Conference. USC will begin competing in the Big Ten in 2024.

The obvious reason the Tigers haven’t faced USC very often is that they are located on opposite coasts. It also isn’t shocking that they lost to the Trojans because they are a very good program.

Well, a 7-4 overall record in 1966 is good, but certainly not one of their banner seasons. Unlike the games we have discussed thus far, this was a regular-season contest. The Tigers packed their bags and traveled out to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (which was already 43 years old in 1966) to play USC.

They must have been jetlagged because while Clemson was ACC Champion in 1966, they were shutout in LA by the Trojans 30-0. USC would also win their conference that season but dropped four of their final five games after beating Clemson to fall out of contention for any national honors.