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College Football Rankings: Top 25 after spring practice

By Cody Williams

Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles out of the pocket against the Auburn Tigers during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles out of the pocket against the Auburn Tigers during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 15, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the annual 2017 Spring Game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the annual 2017 Spring Game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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USC Trojans

2016: 10-3, 

Call it getting aboard the Sam Darnold hype train or whatever, but the USC Trojans are back. Once Darnold took his position under center as the starter last season, the Trojans won nine games and looked like a College Football Playoff team that fell short due to the early games where they were without Darnold. Now the clear-cut No. 1 guy, there’s reason to be excited about the athletic freak with the massive arm at quarterback.

Admittedly, what the USC spring game did bring to light is that Darnold doesn’t have the same array of weapons and protection. The Trojans sent the heart of their offensive line to the NFL. What’s more, JuJu Smith-Schuster is also out of the picture. That puts the spotlight very much so on players like Deontay Burnett to step up and give Darnold the weapons he needs to succeed. In the spring game, he was that for the offense, which is promising. What’s more, the offensive line kept him “clean” in terms of pressure for the most part.

And while the USC defense may have lost talent as well, they’re still a largely veteran group that should actually progress from their inconsistency a year ago. Really, though, it all comes back to the quarterback. When you have a player who was the leader and clutch performer that Darnold was as a redshirt freshman, you have to feel confident that he’s going to do what it take every week to have his team in a position to win. It’s early, but no one in the Pac-12 is touching USC this season.

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