USC Trojan fans know the standard is higher than 9-3. Last season was still a step in the right direction for the USC Trojans. In Year 2 of Big Ten play, they looked like a team that belonged in the conference. Expectations are now getting higher, however, and they should be.
Many experts and analysts are still not sold on this USC team and believe Lincoln Riley is on the hot seat this season. There is one college football expert who is buying into the Trojans this upcoming season.
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Joel Klatt, in a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” analyzed a couple of teams he thinks will make some noise this upcoming season. While it may not be the popular answer, he thinks USC will be a team that will be a contender. Here are his thoughts on USC, via a Fox Sports article piece highlighting his episode:
“Klatt is optimistic about USC because of its foundation.
“I think it’s time to get a little bit bullish on USC,” Klatt said. “This is a team that has the experienced quarterback coming back. I think we all now understand that’s what it takes to be successful in college football. So, you’ve got Jayden Maiava back.
“Here’s the part that I actually think is more impactful: How about getting the entire offensive line back? Now, we’re talking because you’ve got a quarterback, offensive line, and the entire backfield back. King Miller, who had to fill in after Waymond Jordan was injured, is back, and you have both him and Jordan back in the backfield. So, you’ve got what I believe to be, at least the potential of, the best running game Riley has had since his OU days. You remember those old Trey Sermon, Rodney Anderson days when they were just running roughshod over everybody? I think USC can be a dominant run team.”
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To Klatt’s point, that run game helped USC rank sixth in the Big Ten in rushing last season. Klatt believes that continuity will help the Trojans fill the void left by wide receiver Makai Lemon going to the NFL.”
Continuity is a big thing in sports that separates the top teams from the others, as well as experience. Last season, the Indiana Hoosiers, a Big Ten team, won it all in part due to the amount of experience they had. That fact went way further than them being a talented team. This next season, the Trojans will have a reassuring amount of continuity and experience on the offensive side of the ball. The Trojans’ offense last season was one of the more explosive offenses in the country.
Losing Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon are two big playmakers, who would be a huge loss for other teams; USC should be able to bounce right back. Tanook Hines showed every bit of being a potential star receiver vs TCU, and this run game will be even better than it was last season with both a healthy King Miller and Waymond Jordan.
To win the Big Ten, you need a prolific offense and a good quarterback; the Trojans already, on paper, fit that bill. The defense should be better as well with the new coach, Gary Patterson, an experienced defensive coach. The Trojans are in position to make some noise in the Big Ten. Right now, Joel Klatt stands as a lone believer in the Trojans this next season rolls around, but as the season gets closer, there might be some other doubters that become believers that come out of the woodwork.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Joel Klatt fully believes in USC football heading into 2026 season
