It’s easy to be impressed with the USC Trojans’ season, and there’s still reason to buy into the hype surrounding Caleb Williams’s team.
Will they play for a National Title? The path is wide open for them to do so.
2022 Results
Date | Opponent | Score |
Sept. 3 | vs. Rice | 66-14 |
Sept. 10 | at Stanford | 41-28 |
Sept. 17 | vs. Fresno State | 45-17 |
Sept. 24 | at Oregon State | 17-14 |
Sept. 30 | vs. Arizona State | 42-25 |
Oct. 8 | vs. Washington State | 30-14 |
Oct. 22 | at Utah | 43-42 |
Oct. 29 | at Arizona | 45-37 |
Nov. 5 | vs. California | 41-35 |
Nov. 11 | vs. Colorado | 55-17 |
Nov. 19 | at UCLA | 48-45 |
Nov. 26 | vs. Notre Dame | 38-27 |
One thing that’s been impressive about the USC Trojans is they’ve demonstrated to the committee that they can win in multiple ways. The team’s victory over Oregon State, where they held the Beavers to 14 points on the road, was impressive, but they haven’t fully shown that they can dominate an opponent.
The biggest test of the first eight weeks came at the hands of the Utah Utes, where the Trojans dropped 43-42 after the home side outscored them 15-7 in the fourth quarter. That fourth quarter could be the difference between being inside or outside the playoff picture.
There are many things to like about this version of the Trojans, but something feels like it’s missing for them to reach the level of the country’s top teams.
A tight victory over California at home didn’t do them any favors, entering as three-touchdown favorites but only winning by five points.
The Trojans kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive on November 19, where they took down the UCLA Bruins 48-45 on the road. This was another signature win for the program.
In their final regular season game ahead of the Pac-12 Championship, the USC Trojans outlasted a tough Notre Dame team and defeated the Fighting Irish 38-27.
In the Polls/CFP RankingsPoll | This Week | Last Week |
CFP Rankings | 4 | 6 |
AP Top 25 | 4 | 5 |
Coaches Poll | 4 | 5 |
The fifth College Football Playoff Rankings had the Trojans ranked as the No. 4 team in the country. Caleb Williams continues to put together a Heisman campaign, and the Trojans control their own destiny heading into the Pac-12 Championship.
College Football National Championship Winner Odds (+1200)At +1200 on the FanDuel Sportsbook, the USC Trojans sit alone with the fifth-best odds to win the National Championship. Even with the Trojans occupying the fourth seed in the College Football Playoff rankings, they still find their odds behind the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
This Week: vs. Utah (-2.5)The USC Trojans will enter the Pac-12 Championship Game looking for revenge against the Utah Utes. The Utes handed the Trojans their only blemish on their schedule, and a payback victory will send them to the College Football Playoff.