USC Trojans Preview 2024
USC is in the Big Ten. Really.
If anything, the magnitude has been slightly underwhelming, lessened a tad with all of the other massive moves in realignment. But this is it. This is the biggest of the big ones. This is the move that changed everything.
Texas and Oklahoma going to the SEC? Yeah, huge, but that didn’t set the wheels in motion to bring down the Big 12 - although there was a thought that it was going to. Both programs sort of fit in geographically, and it’ll all feel instantly comfortable with Texas A&M, Missouri, Arkansas, and LSU.
Rutgers is 2,752 miles away from USC, and the two are kicking off at 11 pm ET.
USC turned the Big Ten into the superpower conference in the business of college athletics, and it marked the end of the Pac-12.
UCLA, too, but getting USC means the Big Ten is in Los Angeles. It’s now a coast-to-coast conference with a true national reach, it owns the second-largest media market, and … it’s USC. When the Trojans are really good, they’re a national college football program.
Now they have to play up to the significance of who and what they are.
There’s no Caleb Williams type of star around. The talent level isn’t quite as jaw-dropping as it probably should be, the huge questions about the defense won’t go away until it starts to work, and being a hamstring pull from a probable College Football Playoff spot in 2022 doesn’t matter a lick after going 8-5 the following season.
Oh, there’s pressure.
There’s pressure on Lincoln Riley to get USC into the larger College Football Playoff, and to make the program a true superpower again, and to beat all these phenomenal teams on the slate.
But USC is in the Big Ten. No matter what, it’s a big deal.
USC Preview 2024: Offense
- It’s sort of hard to argue with an offense that was tenth in the nation in total yards and third in scoring. The attack had to keep on pressing to make up for all the issues on the defensive side, and everyone was pressing, but it still rocked.
However, Caleb Williams was trying to make every play possible, the O kept taking chances and pushing, and occasionally, it seemed like it was fried.
How’s this for having to carry things? USC was 8-1 when scoring 42 points or more, and 0-4 when it didn’t. But it’s Lincoln Riley, and OC Josh Henson, and the Trojan O will keep on working, even if the national star power isn’t there. But …
- Miller Moss had better be great. USC could’ve had just about any quarterback transfer it wanted - Baker, Jalen, and Caleb will combine for way over a half a BILLION in career earnings when they’re done - but Moss threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in the bowl win over Louisville’s great defense, and that was enough to suggest that he’s the main man. If not, UNLV’s breakout star Jayden Maiava has all the tools and upside to be the next great Riley QB.
Top targets Tahj Washington and Brenden Rice are gone, but Zachariah Branch is one of the nation’s most electrifying all-around playmakers, TE Lake McRee will push for All-Big Ten honors, and the system will help make the receivers explode.
- The backs will be fine behind another good offensive line. C Jonah Monheim and OG Emmanuel Pregnon are All-Big Ten candidates and pro prospects - the young talent will fill in around them.
Caleb Williams might have rushed for 11 touchdowns, but he only netted 142 yards - his mobility mattered more for the passing game.
The top two backs are gone, but Mississippi State transfer Woody Marks and sophomore Quinten Joyner will be fine - they’ll combine for over 1,000 yards and each will blow past five yards per carry.
USC Preview 2024: Defense
- And then there’s the USC defense - in comes D’Anton Lynn as the new coordinator to try fixing it all. 118th in scoring D, 116th in total D, awful at generating third down stops, and unlike 2022, mediocre at generating takeaways to make up for all of the other problems. Once again, the program is throwing new parts at the problem by working through the transfer portal, but …
- The D line, talent-wise isn’t all that bad. The tackle combination of Bear Alexander and Elijah Hughes is good, and top pass rusher Jamil Muhammad returns at one end.
Combine them with the 1-2 linebacking push of veteran Eric Gentry - when he’s healthy - leading tackler Mason Cobb, and Oregon State all-star transfer Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, and there’s too much talent to not be better against the run as long as the depth develops up front.
- USC isn’t quite as strong in some positions as it was over the last few years, but the secondary should be a plus even with the loss of star S Calen Bullock. More options and lots of young talent are in the mix with freshman Marcelles Williams creating a buzz at corner and the transfer portal helping second-leading tackler Jaylin Smith at safety.
USC Key To The Season
Bring back the defensive takeaways.
The USC defense won’t be any worse, but it still won’t be anything amazing. It’ll give up yards, it’ll breakdown at times, and there will be days when it’s just not there. That’s fine as long as the turnovers are flowing again.
The 2022 defense wasn’t any good, either, but there was a risk-it-for-the-biscuit side to it. When USC came up with two or more takeaways it was 7-0, and 4-3 when it didn’t. Last year? It only came up with multiple takeaways four times … and went 4-0. It was 1-3 when it couldn’t force a turnover.
USC Key Player
Jamil Muhammad, DE Sr.
The more disruptive forces on defense, the better, and that starts with generating even more of a pass rush. Muhammad was the best playmaker in the backfield last season with 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, but the production came to a dead stop midway through the campaign.
Six of the sacks and ten of the tackles for loss came during the six game winning streak - USC’s D needs him in November.
USC Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, LB Sr.
He’s not all that big, but he’s got great range, can get into the backfield, and he hits everything. The First Team All-Pac-12 performer made 107 tackles with two sacks and two picks with 6.5 tackles for loss at Oregon State last season, and now he’ll be in the middle of the Trojan linebacking corps.
Top Transfer Out: Malachi Nelson, QB RFr.
It’ll be interesting to see how this works. The one-time star recruit who appeared to be NEXT in the Lincoln Riley lineage of great quarterbacks didn’t see any real time last season, and left for Boise State instead of some other Power Four team. There’s a chance USC is more than fine with UNLV’s Jayden Maiava coming in, but Nelson might be amazing with development and time logged in.
USC Key Game
at Washington, Nov. 2
Yeah, the season opener against LSU will be big, and yeah, the Big Ten opener at Michigan will be massive, and yeah, hosting Wisconsin, Penn State, and Nebraska will be a blast, and yeah, beating UCLA always matters, and yeah, the regular season finale against Notre Dame should have expanded College Football Playoff implications in some way …
USC lost the last two years against Washington and in three of the last four meetings. For both teams - considering their respective brutal slates, this should be a make-or-break moment.
USC 10 Best Players
1. Zachariah Branch, WR/KR Soph.
2. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, LB Sr.
3. Bear Alexander, DT Jr.
4. Jaylin Smith, S Sr.
5. Jamil Muhammad, DE Sr.
6. Eric Gentry, LB Sr.
7. Jonah Monheim, C Sr.
8. Miller Moss, QB Jr.
9. Lake McCree, TE Jr.
10. Jayden Maiava, QB Soph.
USC 2023 Fun Stats
- Time of Possession: Opponents 32:20, USC 27:40
- Fumbles: USC 26 (lost 11), Opponents 22 (lost 9)
- First Downs: Opponents 295, USC 294
USC 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
Anyone else turtles up and isn’t heard from again with this schedule.
The offense will once again be great, the defense will be a smidge better, and it’ll be another good, productive season with a strong midseason run in Big Ten play to get everyone excited.
But the body blows will add up.
LSU to start the season. Notre Dame to end it. At Michigan in Week 4. Host Wisconsin at home, travel to Minnesota, host Penn State, travel to College Park, Maryland, and go back and forth without two home games in a row all year.
However, the Trojans don’t leave LA over the last four games and Washington is the one big road trip after mid-October - the team doesn’t leave the Pacific Time Zone.
There will be just enough losses in big games to make the fan base grouchier about Lincoln Riley, and just enough terrific performances to think the program is closer to amazing than many will believe.
Set The USC Win Total At … 8.5
Likely Wins: Nebraska, Rutgers, Utah State
50/50 Games: LSU (in Las Vegas), at Maryland, at Michigan, at Minnesota, Notre Dame, Penn State, at UCLA, at Washington, Wisconsin
Likely Losses: No sure thing losses
- 2024 USC Schedule: 3 Things To Know
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