Well, well, well. An Oregon Duck writer and analyst has picked the USC Trojans to make the 2023 College Football Playoff. That’s an eye-opener.
Our friend Don Smalley, who has appeared on our Trojans: Wired podcast in the past and is part of the team at Ducks Wire, sorted through a list of 15 College Football Playoff contenders the other day. He picked USC to make the playoff this year.
Here’s the case Don made for the Trojans:
“USC is the overwhelming favorite to win the Pac-12 and end the conference’s playoff drought, ironically in the last season the Trojans are a member. Heisman winner Caleb Williams is back and he has a plethora of receivers to throw to, including Dorian Singer, who transferred in from Arizona.”
Is Don trying to reverse-jinx this? Is he trying to arrange this situation so that he is either right — and looks like a genius — if USC makes the playoff, or he gets the satisfaction of seeing USC lose if he is wrong?
We can all wonder about that, but we don’t wonder about this point: Don Smalley is a good and knowledgeable analyst. He put some real thought into this … and it’s a sign of respect to USC. It shows how much the Trojans have improved and developed in a relatively short time under Lincoln Riley.
The other three teams Don picked to make the playoff, in case you’re interested: Clemson, Alabama, and Michigan, which all have College Wire sites as well.
Be sure to follow Don Smalley, site editor Zachary Neel, and the rest of the team at Ducks Wire for complete Oregon coverage and plenty of insights on the Pac-12.
Do check out Ducks Wire’s other Pac-12 team previews:
Arizona — Arizona State — California — Colorado — Oregon State — Stanford — UCLA
Also check out Ducks Wire’s 2023 season storyline pieces on the College Football Playoff, the Heisman Trophy, and much more.
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