USC an extreme unknown in early Big Ten football power rankings reveal

The USC Trojans bring a lot of uncertainty going into their first year in the Big Ten. Replacing offense and defensive overhaul are keys.

In each part of this series, we will unveil where each of the 18 teams in the new look conference begins. We started at No. 1 with the revamped Ohio State Buckeyes. Then, the Oregon Ducks come in at the second spot. Coming in at No. 3 were the defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines, who are in a bit of a transition period.

At No. 4, we unveiled the Penn State Nittany Lions, who are returning a lot of talent from their 2023 roster. Then we made way for the old reliable, the Iowa Hawkeyes. That leaves us at No. 6, another new addition to the conference, the USC Trojans. 

Over the last couple of years, the identity of this UC team has been its offense under head coach Lincoln Riley. That shouldn’t change too much heading into 2024 but there are some parts of the offense that have understandable concerns. It is most notably at quarterback, where you are replacing former Heisman Trophy-winning signal caller Caleb Williams. It appears that Miller Moss and former UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava. Despite Moss’s six-touchdown performance in the bowl game, that’s going to be a concern until it isn’t anymore.

Whoever the quarterback is, they will have some talented pass catchers to work with. The sophomore class is especially exciting with Zachariah Branch and Duce Robinson even more comfortable and becoming vital parts of the offense. 

The defense for the Trojans has been very problematic over the last couple of years, needing an identity overhaul. We have seen that this offseason with former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn taking over that side of the football. That is a massive upgrade from the previous coordinator and a potential defensive identity. 

There is some defensive talent for the new staff to work with. Coach Lynn’s early impact will determine just how good this team can be in year one of their Big Ten transition. 

Full Big Ten Rankings

  1. Ohio State Buckeyes
  2. Oregon Ducks
  3. Michigan Wolverines
  4. Penn State Nittany Lions
  5. Iowa Hawkeyes 
  6. USC Trojans
  7. TBD
  8. TBD
  9. TBD
  10. TBD
  11. TBD
  12. TBD
  13. TBD
  14. TBD
  15. TBD
  16. TBD
  17. TBD
  18. TBD