2014 College Football Picks and Predictions: USC Trojans Season Preview

2014 College Football Picks and Predictions: USC Trojans Season Preview: The glory days of Pete Carroll was leading the USC Trojans to national title after national title seem so long ago. Probation from Carroll’s tenure hasn’t helped, but the Lane Kiffin years were marred by unfulfilled expectations despite plenty of talent. Of course, it hasn’t helped that as USC has scuffled a bit, Oregon, Stanford and UCLA have all become perennial powers both on the national scale and in the Pac-12. The rise of the competition has given USC even more of an uphill battle in recent years, but with new head coach Steve Sarkisian coming aboard to lead a team that won 10 games a year ago, there is plenty of optimism that the Trojans will be back contending sooner rather than later.

The Good News:

USC has a ton of starters back. The Trojans welcome back six starters on the offensive end and eight on the defensive side of the ball, including the entire linebacking corps and three starters in the secondary. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Leonard Williams anchors the line and might be the best player at his position in the country. Offensively, quarterback Cody Kessler is back, and he sure looked ready to make the jump to a star-caliber player in the team’s opener, throwing for 394 yards and four scores. Running back Javorious Allen also looked ready to handle the starting role, tallying 133 yards and a score. Throw in Nelson Agholor to head the receiving corps, and there is no shortage of talent for the USC offense.

The Bad News:

While the Trojans do dodge Oregon, their schedule is far from friendly overall. They have a road game against Stanford, and they also face rival UCLA on the road in a game that could decide the division. Meanwhile, the offensive line has been a work in progress, providing inconsistent pass protection and running lanes. With three starters back, the unit has a chance to improve, but the leap still needs to occur. Not to mention that as promising as Kessler has been, he has really struggled in big games thus far. That has to change if USC is going to take the next step, especially if the ground game is going to be average. There is also the distraction of running back Anthony Brown, who quit the team and declared Sarkisian a racist in the process.

Outlook:

In terms of overall athleticism and talent, the Trojans have more than enough to compete for a Pac-12 this season, especially at the skill positions. However, the constant coaching changes have made continuity tough to come by, and an overall lack of leadership on the field and in the locker room has shown up, especially against tougher opponents. Adding Sarkisian should help the cause, and continued improvement on the part of Kessler will gives the Trojans a chance to make some noise in the Pac-12 this year. That being said, road games against Stanford and UCLA are going to be tough to win, and even a home game against Notre Dame isn’t a given. In the end, the pieces are in place for a big season, but the top teams in the Pac-12 have just as much talent and more continuity. The Trojans will put up fight, but they aren’t ready to take back the conference just yet.

Prediction: 10-2, Second in Pac-12 South Division