The unique nature of the 2023 college football season for USC is unmistakable. The Trojans are pursuing the College Football Playoff, but they’re doing something more than that. They’re trying to make a final statement to the Pac-12, and they’re trying to send a message to the Big Ten. That’s because they will play this year in the former conference, next year in the latter.
Ducks Wire’s Miles Dwyer noted this in a recent evaluation of the USC program:
“When USC hired Lincoln Riley in 2021, the implication was that USC was getting serious about pushing for another national championship. With that in mind, it is hard to call Riley’s first season as the Trojans a success or a failure. On one hand, they finished the season ranked 12th, their QB, Caleb Williams, won the Heisman Trophy, and they played in the Cotton Bowl. On the other hand, they squandered their chance at a Pac-12 Championship and they blew a significant lead against Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. This will be an important year for Riley because it is the Trojans’ final season in the Pac-12. If they don’t take a step forward in 2023, it could be seen as a step backward, especially since they are about to move into the larger college football market: the Big Ten.”
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