FOOTBALL

Morning Buzz: Will USC Win Only Eight Games Next Year?

The ESPN FPI offer rankings of projected victories for each college team.

I don’t usually put much stock in these rankings but they provide a talking point for fans.

Here are the Pac-12 projections:

9 — Oregon; 9 — UCLA; 9 — Utah; 8 — Arizona State; 8 — USC; 7 — Washington; 6 — Cal; 6 — Oregon State; 5 — Stanford; 5 — Washington State; 4 — Arizona; 3 — Colorado.

USC at eight wins? Seems low.

Not because the Trojans are anything special. But because the schedule is not difficult. That’s certainly why UCLA is at 9 wins with their cushy non-conference schedule.

How would USC lose four games? Other than Notre Dame, where is USC considered an underdog? Its game at Utah. Look at the games against programs that seem to be imploding, like Colorado, Arizona State and maybe even Stanford.

If USC wins eight games next year, I think fans are going to be massively disappointed in Lincoln Riley.

59 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Will USC Win Only Eight Games Next Year?”

  1. We’ll probably do better than 8 —by maybe one game. [But] If the 8 games include beating Utah, UCLA and Notre Dame — and, then Oregon for the Title (Win # 9)…and going to the Rose Bowl and beating Ohio State or Wisconsin or Penn State (Win # 10), I don’t think anyone will be disappointed]…..

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      1. I was wondering the same thing —and whether or not they even know our conference is subdivided into north and south…and the winners play each other….
        #MyGuess:ProbablyNot

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    2. I just realized Scott wasn’t asking about THIS year (2022) —he was specifically asking about “NEXT” year (2023)— so I’m officially changing my prediction to 15 “W”s and a National Championship….

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    3. Michael, I have them 10 and two, not counting the Pac 12 title game. And they will win the Pac 12 game so that’s 11 and it all depends on who they play in the bowl game.

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      1. Based on Riley’s coaching track record that prediction looks good, Raul….
        #OnlyConcern:TakingOverAHeltonTeam…
        #…IsDifferentThanTakingOverAStoopsTeam
        #[DifferentInThe”LikeNight&Day”Sense]…

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    4. The expectations are low for ‘Ol Mule Shoe.

      Playing in one of, if not the weakest of all P5 conferences and with the softest out of conference opponent schedule USC has played in decades and ‘Ol Mule Shoe is only expected to win 8 games?

      And USC is paying this clown well over $100 million dollars!

      That’s Goddamn Pathetic!

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    5. They’ll beat UCLA and ND and then win a bowl game but they will lose to Utah and thus not win the Pac-12 south and hence they will not play Oregon.

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  2. 10-2 9-3 8-4 that seems about right for this years record considering how many players left and the mess clueless clay left. My prediction is they make it to the Rosebowl.

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    1. Chip finally got his players to buy into his program –and they won some games and beat up on a coachless, Drakeless USC (excuse for a) team…
      #BigDeal..
      #…TheyAin’tGonnaWinMoreGamesThanRiley

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      1. Oh mg you setting yourself up for a big expensive letdown don’t worry about that marlin fight we can trade off on the rod every 5 minutes and will land him in about 5 hours

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      3. SC plays a schedule that includes all beatable teams, some are good, some are real good…none are great ,nor are they top10 teams,incl ND.
        SC will be prepared unlike the last 5-6 years,they were not prepared at all.
        I don’t think people really understand what hellton did to this program, and now it is a completely different EVERYTHING…be prepared to see real football.

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  5. Hey Michael. This girl Jeanette Garrett told me that she is tired of you and wants to know if she can come over to my pad and give me a leigh. Are we going to let this girl COME BETWEEN US ????

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    1. Jack Nicolson [as Joker in first Batman movie] to Jack Palance: “You let a girl come between us?! A girl!”

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  6. Let’s be scientific about this, although when it comes to predicting college football wins-losses a half year from now it is called
    psuedo-science:
    Rice– Win
    at Stanford– Should be win, but the (extinct) Indians can surprise
    Fresno St– A good team
    at Oregon St– A good team
    ASU– Win (lost its quarterback)
    Wash St– Win
    at Utah– will be underdogs
    at Ariz– Win
    Cal– Win
    Colo– Win
    at sucla– tough game
    ND– tough game

    So the count is 7 wins and 5 tough games. 9-3 is reachable

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  7. First off, USC fanboys are putting way too much stock into Caleb Williams, because they’re drowning in the media hype. Lincoln Riley inherited a very average roster, and the transfer portal didn’t exactly deliver All American players. Allow Riley to recruit a couple of classes before making big time predictions. And I think eight wins is a fair assessment, but it could be more or less.

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    1. ..”It could be more…it could be less” takes in a lot of territory…
      #AllIKnowForSure:ItWon’tBeMoreThan15OrLessThanZero

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    2. Eight wins would be a very disappointing season. That offense will be explosive. They need to bring in some needed pieces on defense. I still say 12-1. Injuries could cost them. They still don’t have the depth of Bama, Georgia and the great teams.

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  8. I think SC will win 12 games. They will win 11 regular season games and a bowl game. The only game that I think they will lose is Utah.

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  9. 9-3 season is very realistic in 2022, but that means keeping Caleb healthy for the entire season. 10 wins is a possibility also if the team can quickly learn the new system on both defense and offense. It is going to be hard for all teams on the USC schedule to stop a new look USC offense with a “mobile qb”, and hopefully a team with a re-energized running game.

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    1. If we average the # of points Riley’s Oklahoma teams averaged (44 points per game), we’ll beat everybody we play cuz it won’t matter what our defense does [and I think our defense will actually be okay)….

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      1. In the last 7 years that LR has been in charge of that Oklahoma offense they have averaged 42.2 points per game. Averaging 44 points per game considering that they have great receivers, running backs and a great QB and an experienced O-Line is not exactly living in dream world.

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      2. IF we keep our portal guys healthy right thru the last game of season we’ll match that Oklahoma per game point total…. and it’s hard to imagine anybody outscoring us in that case…
        The 2022 season at a glance:
        44-7
        44-17
        44-10
        44-0……
        […..Well, you get the picture]….

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      1. Sounds like me and mg are going to have to take on the charter boat to fight the big marlin since 67 wants to chicken out and go golfing instead

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      2. Remember what Oscar Bonavena had to say after the Ali fight?
        #”AliNoChicken!”
        #67WillComeFromBehindIn13thRoundVs.Marlin

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  10. I don’t think a prediction is available right now. USC is still shopping for players. Anyway the last I heard ND has a new coach, Ucla has a beatable coach and Oregon’s new coach is a paper tiger. Time will tell.
    Unlike the past 5 years when the team wore their football pants backwards (easier to lace up and the added protection of the tailbone pad being up front-per Helton’s news release) the new coaches have agreed to turn things around. During spring it’s attitude, early fall getting rid of stupid mistakes (10 men on the field for a point after etc.) and by the first game a whole new offense with so many new names, the announcers will be calling numbers and not names. It just feels different this year BECAUSE IT IS

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    1. …and we won’t be hearing a fat oaf dressed like he’s USC’s coach telling the sideline reporter before opening kickoff, “excited to be here…thank you for your question…to be honest with you, blah, blah, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit…”

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      1. I’m sure that very thought occurs to Coach Riley every time Caleb throws an interception in practice, John….

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  12. “massively disappointed”
    No.
    It will be how they end the season. Pete’s first season wasn’t disappointing, regardless of a mediocre record, because every smart fan could see what was happening. I suspect we lose a couple early, maybe @OSU and @Utah. Riley will have them ready for the ucla and ND game.

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    1. That kind of season would be VERY fine with me…. I’d trade W’s over Notre Dame and UCLA over Oregon State anytime….
      #ItWouldProveWeTurnedTheHeltonCorner…
      #..And…
      #…ItWouldBringSouthernCaliforniaRecruitsInDroves

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  13. Scooter,

    If SC ends up being 8-4, then the season will have to anaylized to see why. It will be disappointing, however, IF SC shows improvement in all phases of the game, then ti si a rebuilding year and then nexrt season should be the winner in getting into the playoffs.

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