USC didn’t have the dudes last year. Everyone knew that. Everyone could see and appreciate that. The Trojans didn’t perform well, particularly from mid-October through the Cotton Bowl, but they didn’t have the depth or the quality. As much as Alex Grinch failed to make the grade in the second half of the regular season and then in the bowl game, USC was undermanned.
The big question entering 2023 is if the Trojans have the dudes, or at least more of them. Is the coaching staff still trying to hedge its bets and talk about the limited depth on the roster, or do the coaches think they have the personnel needed to make significant improvements and compete for a College Football Playoff spot?
It sure seems the coaches are willing to express confidence about the players they have brought into the fold.
Alex Grinch said this to 247Sports:
“One of the things is — are we a bigger, faster, stronger football team as we sit here today than we did a year ago? The answer, not in my opinion — it’s fact — is, we are,” Grinch said. “Now, we gotta make sure we play more physical, we play faster and all of those things. Then also with that is make sure we put the guys in the best situations to be successful.
“We need a more consistent unit, a more physical unit, tougher unit, and a unit that plays four quarters, and so all of that has to take place this fall camp and obviously continue this season.”
Grinch’s words are newsworthy not because they should be treated as Gospel truth, but simply because the coaching staff has raised expectations relative to 2022. You’re not seeing or hearing coaches express reservations about depth, or whether they have the dudes. The expectation has clearly been raised: This unit should be good enough to help the offense and the team get where they want to go.
No excuses. No walkbacks. The defense is supposed to be better this year.
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