Predicting the first loss for every college football top 25 team

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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans looks on against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

No. 4 USC Trojans: vs. Florida State (National Championship Game)

The Trojans announced to the nation they are ready to rejoin the ranks of the college football elite last season, and now enter 2017 with championship-or-bust expectations.

It wasn’t always easy for the 2016 Trojans, as there were calls to fire head coach Clay Helton after a 1-3 start that included a beatdown by Alabama, yet another loss to Stanford, and a narrow road defeat at Utah. USC caught fire after making the switch to Sam Darnold at quarterback, finishing the year with nine straight wins including a victory at Washington and wild Rose Bowl triumph over Penn State.

Darnold is among the Heisman favorites, running back Ronald Jones averaged 6.1 yards per carry last year and Deontay Burnett leads a solid rotation of wide receivers even with JuJu Smith-Schuster gone, leaving a depleted offensive line as the one potential hole. Rose Bowl aside, the Trojans were generally strong on the defensive end down the stretch as well, and productive pieces like linebacker Cameron Smith and end Porter Gustin lead a unit loaded with upperclassmen.

Following an opener against P.J. Fleck-less Western Michigan, the Trojans will get their two toughest regular season games of the year against Stanford and Texas, but have the offensive balance to take advantage of both opponents’ weaknesses at home. After that, it’s unclear who will be able to stop USC in the regular season, as its biggest tests will be at Washington State (Sept. 28) and at Notre Dame (Oct. 21).

Darnold will be too much for the Huskies’ secondary in the aforementioned Pac-12 Championship Game matchup, and Jones will step up against a rebuilt Alabama front seven in a classic National Semifinal. The Trojans will finally fall in the national championship game to Florida State, which will fully exploit an offensive line replacing three all-conference performers and force a few mistakes with its playmaking secondary.