USC emerged from the wilderness in 1962.
The story of Trojan football contains many glorious chapters, but one could make the argument that 1962 was the most important year in school history.
We noted that “In 1960, USC football was searching for a return to a winning tradition. The Trojans were in transition, having endured three rough seasons under head coach Don Clark (although the 1959 significantly improved from the 1957 and 1958 teams). USC really hadn’t been an elite program since the mid-1940s, when it made four Rose Bowls in five seasons under then-coach Jeff Cravath.
“USC needed someone to restore the magic.”
That man was John McKay.
In three seasons, he led USC to the national championship, the first of four under his watch. A decade and a half later, in 1976, McKay handed off a healthy program to John Robinson, who won another national championship and finished No. 2 in the polls two other times. USC won five national titles in a 17-year span and established itself again as an elite college football program. The Trojans won four Heisman Trophies from 1965 through 1981 and developed that part of their legacy in college football history, which continues with Caleb Williams today.
The 1962 national championship season is important in the longer workings of USC football history. Relive that season below: