USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley Receive Discouraging Prediction

This season's goal the USC Trojans will aim for is regaining their national dominance. With preseason polls excluding the Trojans, could they find themself in a College Football Playoff conversation sooner rather than later?

Sep 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While Preseason Rankings have been circulating the internet, College Football Playoff predictions have surfaced just as much.

The USC Trojans were left out of the preseason AP Top 25 Poll and were ultimately ranked right around No. 30. As for CFP predictions, the Trojans have also struggled in this category.

College Football Analyst Sees Talent, But No CFP Berth

Dec 27, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt at the Holiday Bowl at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For college football analyst Joel Klatt, who has shown confidence in the Trojans upcoming season, he left USC out of his recent CFP predictions.

Klatt does not disregard the fact that USC does have the talent prove they can compete and deliver a much better performance than 2024. He especially likes the quarterback situation, and is pleased by the late but consistent progress of Jayden Maiava.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"(USC) has a quarterback that played really well late in the season,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. “Now, I hear a lot of the fans talking about ‘I don’t know if I like this quarterback.’ The bottom line is they played decent last year late. They also showed the ability to beat LSU early and beat Texas A&M late. So, hey, if you’re talking about momentum and the ability to play at the top level, they have that.”

The Trojans started and ended their season on high notes, but faltered multiple times in the middle. USC boasts two wins over SEC opponents in LSU and Texas A&M, a fact that helps support the powerful program the Trojans have the potenial to be. However, their losses against Maryland, Minnesota and Washington do not prove their dominance.

Strength of Schedule Will Make-or-Break Trojans Season

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Although it was their first season in the Big Ten, a blue-blood program like USC should be just fine no matter the competition level. As for Klatt's reasoning behind why he strayed away from the Trojans making a postseason run, was their strength of schedule.

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"Now, what do I not love? I think the schedule is very tough for USC. I think that’s a bar that’s a bar that’s a bit too high for them to get over for that 10-win or 11-win mark. They have games at Illinois, they host Michigan, and they have to go to Notre Dame. They’ve got to go to Nebraska, they host Iowa and they’ve got to go to Oregon.”

Klatt also emphasized the Trojans most difficult games on the schedule that will give USC a difficult time.

Nov 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, left, and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talk before a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“If you just look at Illinois, at Notre Dame and at Oregon, those are all teams I have ranked in the top-15 in the preseason. So that’s gonna be very difficult. The schedule is why I didn’t pick them.”

Illinois has emerged as a CFP dark horse and could potentially boast a postseason run with their 16 returning starters. While Illinois' Memorial Stadium is not known as a difficult environment, Oregon's Autzen Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium are two of the most difficult atmospheres for an away team, a narrative that USC must shake off in order to gain their college football dominance once again.

There's hope for USC: New roster, new coaches same conference and same goal, win a National Championship under Lincoln Riley.