The biggest problem with USC football has nothing to do with the Trojans themselves

#USC is taking care of business, but if anyone thinks the Trojans are overrated through five games, there’s an obvious point to make. The coaches need to emphasize it, too.

Does the 2022 USC football team have flaws? Of course it does. We can see that the rush defense still isn’t where it needs to be. We can see that when an opponent — even one as mediocre as Arizona State — doesn’t throw four interceptions and is able to protect the ball reasonably well, USC will give up more points and will struggle to firmly put a team away as soon as possible. ASU was still in the game when the fourth quarter began, though USC did have a two-score lead instead of the uneasy four-point edge it had at halftime.

There are some problems with USC through five games, but the biggest problem is not with the Trojans themselves. If we’re going to sit here and identify this team’s biggest overall concern, it is something the Trojans can’t control … but it has to be said, so that the players in particular are aware of reality: