Around the Big Ten: Lou Holtz isn’t sold on USC as a contender

Lou Holtz thinks USC football is a bit overrated.

Lou Holtz isn’t sold on the USC Trojans being a College Football Playoff contender.

USC, set to join the Big Ten in 2024 alongside UCLA, has certainly shown a spark in their first season under head coach Lincoln Riley. Quarterback Caleb Williams has excelled as the Trojans (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) are ranked sixth in this week’s USA TODAY Sports AFCA football coaches poll.

The venerable Lou Holtz isn’t sold on USC quite yet, however. While the former Notre Dame head coach likes Williams, he doesn’t see this as a complimentary team.

And Holtz, who had a bitter rivalry with the Trojans while he was head coach of Notre Dame, began his bit about USC on the Crowd’s Line with an old laugh from his days on the sideline.

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USC plays Utah (4-2) on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET (FOX).

“The University of Spoiled Children – people went to USC rather than UCLA because it was easier to spell,” Holtz told Mark May on the weekly show.

“I used to say that when Notre Dame was their archrival but I love their quarterback I think their quarterback is a Heisman candidate. I mean, he is playing unbelievable. His ability to escape pressure when he is passing, he is very accurate. I just absolutely love Caleb Williams.”

Holtz, as much as he loves the USC offense, doesn’t see this as a complete team. The scoreboard, he says, backs up this line of thinking.

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Last week, USC didn’t exactly cruise in a 30-14 win over Washington State. Two weeks before that, they barely escaped with a 17-14 win at Oregon State.

He continued to praise the offense before tightening his sites on the defense.

“I think offensively they’re outstanding their receiver, (Jordan) Addison, I think he is leading the country in receptions, but defensively they have a problem. I know the opening ball game they ran three touchdowns – (they ran) three interceptions back for a touchdown,” Holtz said.

“But I’m not convinced on their ability to play great defense but I do think they’re capable of beating anyone country but they’re also capable of losing because they’ve had two very close games.”

Holtz won a national championship with Notre Dame in 1988. He co-hosts the Crowd’s Line with Mark May. The duo were popular pundits on ESPN’s college football programming for a number of years.

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