USC football: 5 best seasons in Trojans history, ranked

What are the best seasons in the illustrious history of USC football?

The USC Trojans symbolize greatness of West Coast football.

When USC is doing well, college football is in a good place. When the Trojans aren’t holding up their end of the bargain in the Pac-12, college football becomes incredibly regional with the West Coast largely tuning out. It is why USC football’s success is so important to the overall health and landscape of college football.

An unquestioned blue-blood in the sport, the Trojans have claimed 11 national championships, captured 34 bowl victories, won 39 conference championships and sent an absurd amount of players to the NFL. With 80 consensus All-Americans and seven Heisman Trophy winners to boot, you’re never too far away from greatness with Trojan football.

So what we’re going to do today is look back at the best single seasons USC has ever put together on the college football gridiron. USC has won national championships in five different decades, with the winning often coming in bunches. Though a young generation of Trojans fans haven’t seen them win a national title, you have to believe they’ll turn it around at some point here soon.

Here are the best seasons in USC football history.

USC football are national champions in 1932.

USC had already claimed two national championships by head coach Howard Jones’ eighth year leading the program, but his 1932 team stands out as the best of the four he won national titles with at USC. The Trojans went 10-0 overall and 6-0 in the Pacific Coast Conference. Though this championship predates the dawn of the AP Poll by a few years, it doesn’t make it any less special.

Of its 10 opponents, the 1932 Trojans shut out the opposition eight times. They only allowed 13 points scored on them all season, seven points at home vs. the California Golden Bears on Nov. 7 and six points on the road in a narrow victory vs. the Washington Huskies up in Seattle on Nov. 24. USC scored 201 points in that magical season, culminating in a Rose Bowl victory for the Trojans.

USC was named national champions in nine different polls, including co-national champions in the Davis and Sagarin Polls. Six players of this team were named all-conference, including three along the offensive line. This team was proof if you dominate the line of scrimmage, you can dictate terms in any battle on the football field.

Had the AP Poll or the Coaches Poll existed back in 1932, we would have an easier time comparing all those great USC teams under Jones to those coached later by John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll. But since the AP Poll wasn’t created until 1936, we have to trust Jones’ perfect 1932 team was the best of the four teams he coached to national titles USC would end up claiming.