Someone told me they thought Arizona would be USC’s toughest game in the first six contests. My response: USC might score 60 points against Arizona’s defense (Johnny Nansen). I suspect going to Arizona State will be tougher than playing Arizona in the Coliseum. There are always surprises during the season but on paper, Arizona has a problematic secondary. The Wildcats took a cornerback transfer from … Continue reading What Is USC’s Toughest Of The Worst Games?

USC coach Lincoln Riley has a habit of loving every freshman in training camp. I’ve been curious when he would speak about wide receiver Makai Lemon, because five-star Zacariah Branch tends to get most of the publicity for the new receivers. “He’s had an awesome camp,” Riley said. “We’ve been able to move him around position wise. He’s handled it well mentally, stayed healthy. He’s … Continue reading USC Notes: A Freshman WR Finally Gets A Mention

I identified the offensive line as an area of inconsistency during training camp. Here’s another one: The secondary. “They have good days and not-so-good days,” a source said. The safeties are basically the same trio from last season: Caleb Bullock, Bryson Shaw and Max Williams. So we know what we have there. It’s the cornerback position that has been a bigger point of contention. The … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Another Area Of Contention

USC being ranked No. 6 in the AP poll is significant from a historical perspective: Since 2004, every national champ was ranked in the AP preseason poll’s top 7 except Auburn (2010) and Florida State (2013). I actually think No. 6 is a bit high for USC but the polls agreed on it. Continue reading USC Notes: History Suggests Poll Ranking Important

Since the coaches’ preseason poll comes out first, it’s not unusual for the AP poll to have some remarkable coincidences. For example, USC is ranked No. 6 today in the AP Top 25 poll, just like in the coaches’ poll. Five Pac-12 teams made the Top 25. RANK SCHOOL POINTS 1 Georgia (60) 1,572 2 Michigan (2) 1,490 3 Ohio State (1) 1,400 4 Alabama … Continue reading USC Ranked No. 6 In AP Poll