USC has to reach the top tier of college football before it learns how to conquer it

At Trojans Wire, our recent USC football fan call-in show on Friday elicited some strong comments. The topic which got everyone’s blood boiling (including mine) was the following hypothetical question: Would you take a College Football Playoff berth this year for USC, even if it meant getting absolutely drilled in the first round? If USC got run out of the building on the playoff’s big stage, would that still be worth the value of getting to the playoff? Responses to this hypothetical were mixed. That caught me off guard. If something negative is part of something hugely positive, my thought process says it’s worth taking the 10 ounces of bad stuff with the 20 pounds of good stuff. Yet, for some, the negative aspects of a playoff blowout loss would overshadow the benefits of making the playoff.

Here’s something that has to be acknowledged at USC: The Trojans aren’t currently a heavyweight program. They want to be one, but they aren’t one. Not right now. The idea that USC, after being 8-5 last season, can not only make the playoff but avoid a loss to opponents which are likely to be better than the Trojans in said playoff is just not reasonable. If USC does make the playoff this year, it will almost certainly be a substantial underdog in its first game. The team USC faces would likely be a team which has played at or near a playoff-caliber level the past few years. The chances of USC getting popped in the playoff this year — should it even get there — are good. Maybe you will say USC could lose by 14 and not 30, and sure, that wouldn’t look as bad, but really, if we’re worried about that difference, between losing by 14 and 30, that’s splitting hairs when balanced against the enormous benefit of actually getting to the playoff after the horrible 2023 season.

No one’s saying or implying that getting roasted in the playoff is acceptable every year at USC. No way. Championships are the standard. However, USC isn’t in position to be a top-four team this year. If getting to the playoff and losing by 30 creates a learning experience which toughens up the program and puts the coaches and players in a much better position to compete for a title in 2025 and 2026, that’s worth the tradeoff.

Here’s our call-in show from Friday on the playoff and much more at The Voice of College Football:

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.