It has now been over three months since the Michigan football team raised the national championship trophy back in January at NRG Stadium in Houston. It was a season to remember in college football as it was the last year of the four-team College Football Playoff, and it was also the last year of the Pac-12. There are going to be a lot of changes next season, and there have also been a lot of changes in this offseason already in terms of coaching moves and the transfer portal. Now, spring football is well underway, and a sense of hope has returned to college football fans. USC football had their spring game on Saturday, and Trojans fans can't wait for the season.
Spring football is a special time of year as fans across the country get to see their new team in action for the first time. It's hard to tell much about a team from spring practices, but it's still fun to see the teams on the field competing against each other, and football fans are all eager for the new season to roll around. The first few months of the offseason are tough to get through and the football season seems so far away. Now, the weather is warming up, and you can sense that the new season is nearing. There is still a ways to go, but it's coming.
This next season of college football is going to be an exciting one, and there are a ton of reasons to be looking forward to it. There are a lot of changes coming to the game like rule changes, coaching changes, conference changes and playoff changes. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new season will be the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone, and the Big Ten and SEC are going to be loaded. They both seem to be on the verge of forming super conferences.
The SEC will be welcoming Texas and Oklahoma to the conference next year, and the Big Ten is getting a good crop of Pac-12 teams as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are all joining the conference. Both the Big Ten and the SEC are going to be absolutely loaded next year, and it seems like more schools will potentially join the conferences in the future.
Next season, the College Football Playoff will look different as well as it is expanding to 12 teams. There will also be first round games on college campuses. More teams will have a chance to make the CFP, and there will be more games. It's going to be fun.
USC football is in need of a bounce back season
One team that has a massive offseason ahead of them is the USC football team. Head coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are coming off of a very disappointing season that resulted in a 7-5 finish. USC was very close to winning the Pac-12 and getting into the College Football Playoff in 2022, but they came up short in the Pac-12 title game. They returned most of their talent from that team, including Heisman winner Caleb Williams, but they took a major step back last year.
When Lincoln Riley took the head coaching job with USC football, it looked like the Trojans were poised for success. However, after last year, some USC fans are beginning to question Riley. The team was loaded with talent coming into the season and expectations were through the roof. The season just didn't pan out, however, and now they are losing Williams to the NFL.
This upcoming 2024 season is a huge one for Lincoln Riley and USC. Another disappointing season like last year could put Riley's job in jeopardy, and things will be much tougher on them this season as they are making the move to the Big Ten. The new-look conference is going to be loaded, and the Trojans have to be ready.
USC will once again have a good amount of talent, and it's going to be interesting to see who ends up earning starting spots. There are a lot of intriguing position battles to watch, and here are some of the most important.
Quarterback
The most intriguing position to watch for next season is obviously the QB position. USC football is losing their Heisman winning QB, Caleb Williams, to the NFL, and they will have someone else stepping in next season. Williams was incredible in his college career and he is going to be the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. He is going to be very tough to replace.
USC has a couple different options for QB next season. Most people are expecting Caleb Williams' backup, Miller Moss, to end up earning the starting job, but the Trojans also brought in UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava. Maiava had an impressive season for the Rebels last year as he ended up throwing for over 3,000 yards. He is very much in the mix.
Miller Moss got the start in the Holiday Bowl for USC football last season as Williams sat out, and Moss looked great. He threw for 372 yards and he also tossed six touchdown passes. It was an impressive performance, and head coach Lincoln Riley said after the game that he thought Moss scared away potential transfer QBs. This QB battle should be a good one.
Position battles in the secondary
The issue for this USC football team the past two seasons, especially last year, was their defense. Lincoln Riley brought in a new defensive coordinator, which is a good start, but the Trojans need to make sure they have the right players on the field.
Seeing how the secondary shakes out is going to be interesting. USC has brought in a good amount of transfers in the secondary, and there are a lot of starting jobs to win. DeCarlos Nicholson, Kamari Ramsey, Akili Arnold and John Humphrey are all new, and they are hungry to earn starting roles.
The defense is going to be the difference next year for the Trojans. If they can fix it, they'll probably have a solid year. If not, it's going to be ugly again.
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