The 2023 college football season is coming closer. The preseason polls have been released, and USC is No. 6 in each of them (AP and coaches‘ polls). The same five teams are ahead of the Trojans in both polls: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, and LSU.
When you see that three different SEC teams are ahead of USC, and when you see that Ohio State and Michigan — who will play each other — are both ahead of the Trojans, it becomes apparent that the preseason rankings are not really a projection of who will finish in the top five. The preseason rankings are a reflection of how voters assess these teams in terms of quality. Voters think LSU is better than USC, but the idea that LSU can finish behind Georgia and Alabama in the SEC (meaning it will lose to Alabama in the regular season) and still finish in the top five is unlikely.
Similarly, it’s unlikely that the OSU-Michigan loser will finish ahead of USC if the Trojans lose only one game this season.
If the Trojans do finish 12-1, they will likely make the College Football Playoff.
At Trojan Conquest Live and The Voice of College Football, co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya evaluate USC’s chances of competing for the national championship:
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