This is a recurring theme in the world of college football commentary and analysis in the 2024 offseason: Everyone knows that USC and Lincoln Riley overhauled their defensive coaching staff. Everyone knows Alex Grinch won’t coach these players in 2024. Everyone knows there will be different voices in the room. Everyone knows D’Anton Lynn did a tremendous job of whipping a previously mediocre UCLA defense into shape in one year last season. Everyone knows USC has defensive coaches who are highly credentialed. Yet, it still isn’t translating into high ratings and strongly positive evaluations of the 2024 USC defense.
To be fair to the pundits, USC does have questions about its depth. The Trojans have not accumulated the number of quality players which can withstand attrition if it hits hard this year. The Big Ten figures to be physically punishing in such a way that USC’s depth probably will be tested at some point. However, USC’s starting 11 on defense might be underrated. The Trojans’ frontline talent might be getting underestimated a little by analysts such as Phil Steele. We talked about this on The Voice of College Football:
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