USC football is back: Why the Trojans will be representing the PAC-12 in the College Football Playoff next season

Yes, this is real life

After starting last season with a 1-3 record, USC head coach Clay Helton was on the hot seat, USC football lacked a clear identity and fans were already looking forward to next season. We all know what happened next. Led by phenom redshirt freshman Sam Darnold, USC proceeded to win its next 9 games, capped off by an amazing comeback win in the Rose Bowl. At this point, this is all common knowledge. Now here’s why USC will make the College Football Playoff and compete for the program’s 12th national championship next season:

Sam Darnold

This is a pretty easy one. After taking over for Max Browne last season, Darnold has thoroughly impressed those around USC and in the college football world. Don’t believe the Darnold hype? Well, WalterFootball.com already projects Darnold to become the #1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft. That may be a bit premature after just 10 games from Darnold, but from what we’ve seen thus far, it seems warranted.

Darnold threw for 3,086 yards with 31 TD’s and 9 INT’s last season. Those are impressive numbers, but they don’t tell the whole story. Darnold has consistently been praised for his poise, calm demeanor and leadership abilities, which are vital skills for quarterbacks at this level.

After leading USC to victories at Washington and against Penn State, Darnold has demonstrated an ability to win in big games and USC fans should be excited as he continues to mature and improve with these experiences under his belt.

A high quality, favorable schedule

USC football always schedules quality nonconference opponents, and this upcoming season is no exception. The Trojans open the season with a home game against Western Michigan, who went 13-1 and reached the Cotton Bowl last season. USC then hosts Texas two weeks later, a program  bound to bounce back in the post-Charlie Strong era. Then, in their yearly rivalry, USC travels to South Bend to play Notre Dame, another program set to improve next season.

USC has a favorable schedule within the PAC-12 as well. USC has home games against Stanford, Oregon State, Utah, Arizona and UCLA and away games against Cal, Washington State, Arizona State and Colorado. A handful of these games will prove to be tough, especially against Stanford, who always play USC tough, a Utah team that defeated USC last season, a short week in Pullman against Washington State and in Boulder against the reigning PAC-12 South champions. However, with their schedule and mixture of talent and experience, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if USC runs the table or only loses one game ahead of the College Football Playoff.

An excellent recruiting class

USC’s incredible run to last season not only gave USC another Rose Bowl trophy, but it put the program back on the map for recruits. Combine that with a history of success and a location in vibrant Los Angeles, and it’s no wonder that USC had a top 5 recruiting class in all of college football.

Before National Signing Day, USC managed to flip 4-star QB Jack Sears from Duke and 4-star DT Marlon Tuipulotu from Washington. Not only that, but the program was able to snag 5-star RB Stephen Carr. That would’ve been a win in itself, but the program truly won on National Signing Day.

Bright and early in Los Angeles, USC got a commitment from LB Levi Jones in quite possibly the most entertaining fashion possible. By the end of the day, USC had commitments from top WR Joseph Lewis, OT’s Austin Jackson and Alijah Vera-Tucker, TE Josh Falo, DT Jay Tufele, and safeties Bubba Bolden and Isaiah Pola-Mao, among others.

Of course, recruiting rankings mean nothing compared to actual on-field production, but it doesn’t hurt USC’s potential for next season either. USC lost quite a bit of talent when JuJu Smith-Schuster and Adoree’ Jackson declared for the NFL draft, but the fact that USC managed to fill all of its needs with talented recruits is another reason why USC has the potential to be a powerhouse next year and for seasons to come.

All in all, USC football should be able to maintain its momentum from last season and be a major threat in college football next season. All we can do now is wait for the season to begin, and that wait seems especially longer for USC fans this year. So, until that time comes, we will continue to fight on.

 

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