Yes, the USC Trojans did crack the initial AP Top 25 Poll before the start of the season. However, they only came in as the No. 23 overall team. Inside the bottom quintile of the AP Top 25 (No. 21-25), the Trojans were ahead of the No. 24 North Carolina State Wolfpack and the No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes, but right behind the No. 21 Arizona Wildcats and the No. 22 Kansas Jayhawks, two basketball schools...
To be honest, I think the No. 23 overall ranking to start the season out for USC is justified. Again, I kind of like this team. I feel that moving on from Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator was an absolute necessity. The fact the Trojans were able to pry D'Anton Lynn away from crosstown rival UCLA to be their new defensive coordinator is a huge positive. Heck, I even have a good feeling with Miller Moss.
Unfortunately, I think most of the college football media, including yours truly, has grown sick and tired of Lincoln Riley's dog and pony show. His Air Raid attack may be more ground-centric than others, but his laissez-faire approach to defense has limited every team he has coached before. With him coming into the Big Ten so incredibly cocky, I think more and more people want to see him fail.
I may actually like USC's upside this season, but this is the most critical season of Riley's career.
AP Poll reflects how tired voters are of Lincoln Riley and his USC Trojans
While I will touch on this more tomorrow on Episode 100 of "False Start," the second on video, by the way, I really think USC has a decent chance of making it into the expanded College Football Playoff, probably as one of a few at-large teams out of the new Big Ten. Although nobody in their right mind would take the Trojans over Ohio State or Oregon, maybe they are as good as Penn State, or better?
To me, this is all about Riley proving to us that he is not as stubborn as Kirk Ferentz over in Iowa City. Riley is not in his 70s, so he needs to adapt or the college football world will consume him alive. In all honesty, he may be better served to be an NFL offensive coordinator, but right now, he has games to win in Los Angeles. Keep in mind that Jennifer Cohen was the the athletic director who hired him, too.
Ultimately, water has founds its level when it comes to how we should feel about USC heading into this season. While most pundits suspect that they will be better than last year's underperfoming 8-5 team, they may not be good enough to have a seat at the table with the real makers and shakers of the new Big Ten. USC has a massive brand, but now is the time for the Trojans to put up or shut up.
I find myself rooting for the USC players this season, but not necessarily their current head coach.