We noted earlier on Friday that, as reported by Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, college football will implement a running clock on first downs for the 2023 season, except for the last two minutes of each half.
The rule change is meant to shorten a college football game, or at least to contain the length of the game while still allowing for a full complement of commercials. This move by college football is a parallel move akin to what Major League Baseball has done this season with the pitch clock and the limitations on throwing to first base.
Given that college football games will have fewer plays under the new rule, this presents a clear challenge to the USC defense. If Caleb Williams is going to play in games which will be shortened by several plays, the defense has to make sure the Trojans aren’t conceding those plays. The USC defense has to take away plays from the opposition and hand the ball to Caleb for enough plays to make a positive difference.
The margins for error on this defense just got smaller.
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