USC football was set to have a resurgence with head coach Lincoln Riley. While the former Oklahoma head coach had a solid first season with the Trojans, winning 11 games in 2022, a quick downfall occurred. USC capped off the 2023 regular season with a 7-5 record, despite having former Heisman winner Caleb Williams at quarterback.
A couple of Pac-12 analysts were questioned on the season that USC football had, given an extremely disappointing result. There was excitement for the Trojans to punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff and put themselves back on the map as a CFB juggernaut, but that wasn't the case.
“We knew they were a big transfer portal team,” one Pac-12 analyst said, per The Athletic. “With that, when teams like that are going well, you have momentum and things are good. But then you have situations like USC had, where people become independent contractors, that can really set you back if you don’t have a good culture.”
There's talent in the USC football program, especially on the offensive end. They have blue-chip recruits and transfers who have shown signs of being star playmakers. It's another story on the defensive end though. USC football has one of the worst defenses in Power Five football, with a couple of people pointing it to their soft character.
“It’s like they think they’re NBA stars walking into an arena,” said an opposing head coach. “They’re wearing designer shorts with dress shoes. Another guy is in tie-dyed sneakers. This team looks like they’re an AAU team.”
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