Trojans ranked eighth in preseason poll


The USC football team opened up at No. 8 in the first edition of the Associated Press Top 25 poll that was released on Sunday.

This is the highest the Trojans have been ranked since 2012, when they were ranked No. 1 and went on to finish the season unranked. That was the first time a No. 1 ranked team finished unranked since Ole Miss in 1964.

UCLA is ranked at No. 13 in the preseason polls, placing the Bruins close behind the Trojans. Both Pac-12 schools were ranked higher in the AP poll than in the preseason coaches’ poll.

USC was tabbed to win the Pac-12 Championship over the Ducks in a preseason media poll last month.

With veteran quarterback Cody Kessler returning to the Trojans for his third season, expectations are high for the team. Now that the NCAA scholarship sanction is a thing of the past, the Trojans are recruiting as well as any other school in the country, finishing with one of the nation’s top-ranked recruiting classes. The play on the field this year should surely reflect that.

In spite of the tremendous talent on the team, the Trojans now have a lot to prove. New players, offseason hype and high preseason rankings increase the pressure for the team.

The team or certain players must step up and replace star wide receiver Nelson Agholor, lineman Leonard Williams and tailback Javorius Allen.

Six total Pac-12 teams made the rankings, making the Pac-12 the second highest conference after the SEC with eight teams. The Pac-12 is arguably one of the deepest conferences in the nation, making the Trojan’s climb to the top that much more difficult.