Anthony on LA: I am sold on the Trojans
Well, there you have it. USC will not go undefeated in Head Coach Lincoln Riley’s debut season with the Trojans.
It was never a doubt before the season that the matchup against Utah would be the litmus test of USC’s progress. The Utes are a Pac-12 staple, a model of consistency with a winning season every year since 2013. That build-up culminated in a dominant Pac-12 conference win last season.
So when the schedule makers created this matchup for the Trojans — especially on the road where Utah is an entirely different team — everyone around the program knew this one was it. Yours truly even wrote he wasn’t sold until USC played the Utes.
Dare I even say, in a loss, I am sold on the Trojans.
Look, no one in their right mind expected USC to be this good this fast. Remember, a year ago around this time the Trojans were 3-3 and would win one more game the rest of the season. Yikes.
The hiring of Riley fast-tracked the program’s road back to glory. The transfer portal, the culture shift, you’ve heard all about it. But, the play on the field and the aura around the team are drastically different.
I covered last year’s football team — it was simply sad at times. Lots of empty games and empty seats with the lowest of the lowest coming in that Bruin beatdown.
Do you remember the embarrassing blowouts? UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson turning the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum into his personal playground? Fans booing the team off the field?
Those things happened just under a year ago.
Not only are all the off-field aspects of a program different, but the stench left behind by Clay Helton’s tenure — spine-busting penalties, terrible tackling — have, for the most part, been decimated in just 10 months. Most of that can be attributed to a vastly different roster, but changing those habits takes time and, most importantly, commitment from the players.
Can you imagine how different things will look in a year?
But rebuilds aren’t supposed to be this quick. Remember, Pete Carroll’s first season at USC ended with a 6-6 record. Granted he didn’t have the pleasure of the transfer portal, however, the point is: these things take time.
That’s why after the Trojans’ close loss against Utah, there’s no need to be discouraged or distraught. They were in that game. A few penalties go the other way, and this space would be dedicated to proclaiming the program’s return to dominance. It wasn’t the case though, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Don’t look at UCLA handling the Utes at home as evidence USC is behind its crosstown rivals — Utah is 5-5 on the road in the last two seasons, compared to 10-0 at home. I’ll get to the Bruins in a future column.
Any hope of the College Football Playoff is now seemingly shut. A crucial win on the road against a ranked conference opponent would have been a huge resume boost.
The Trojans had to go undefeated to warrant any chance of sneaking into the top four. The strength of their schedule plays a part, but an 11-1 finish before the conference championship game could help USC’s chances. You just got to get there first.
The fact that we’re even having these discussions on social media and in this publication is incredible. Riley has turned this program around from the laughingstock of the country to a powerhouse waiting to happen.
Could you have thought this would be the case a year ago?
No one could have predicted USC’s rapid turnaround. And for that, the Trojans’ loss doesn’t sting as much as it should. They weren’t supposed to be this way ahead of schedule.
Anthony Gharib is a senior writing about all things Los Angeles sports. His column, “Anthony on LA,” runs every other Tuesday.