It’s early, but where will the USC Trojans go during bowl season? With Caleb Williams and a loaded offense back in Southern California, the defense was and is the biggest issue. However, the additions of Mason Cobb and Bear Alexander, not to mention others, should help Alex Grinch put together a much-improved defense.
The Trojans will enter the year as one of the favorites in the Pac-12, if not the outright favorite, in their final year before heading to the Big Ten.
Brad Crawford of 247Sports dropped his latest bowl predictions for the 2023 season, and he has the Trojans returning to the Cotton Bowl, this time facing LSU:
“Back to the Cotton for USC, this time as Pac-12 champions? It’s a possibility,” Crawford wrote. “And if the Trojans can get through a treacherous slate unbeaten, they play in the conference title game with a playoff berth on the line. Another potential double digit-win season for LSU is coming for Brian Kelly in Year 2, but not putting this team in the playoff just yet as the SEC champion. If the Tigers are able to get to Atlanta 12-0, however, they can get in the final four even with a loss to projected SEC champion Georgia.”
In this scenario, the Trojans win the Pac-12 but miss out on the College Football Playoff once again, which is not what Lincoln Riley is hoping for. The four playoff teams listed here are Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, and Texas, but USC should enter the season as a playoff contender nonetheless.
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