USC football ranked No. 6 in Associated Press preseason poll
The USC Trojans are ranked No. 6 in the preseason edition of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
The Trojans’ ranking matches the No. 6 spot they gained in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
In the AP poll, Ohio State is No. 3 and Alabama is No. 4. That is different from the coaches’ poll, in which Bama was No. 3 and Ohio State was No. 4.
Both polls have Georgia at No. 1, Michigan at No. 2, and LSU at No. 5 in front of the sixth-rated Trojans.
Washington is the other Pac-12 team to join USC in the top 10. The Huskies checked in at No. 10 in the AP poll. Utah was No. 14 and Oregon No. 15 in the poll, giving the Pac-12 four teams in the top 15.
Three SEC teams and two Big Ten teams are ranked ahead of USC in both preseason polls. Obviously, it will be hard for all three SEC teams and both Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten to retain their positions, given that those teams will have to play each other head-to-head at some point. USC’s No. 6 ranking means that if the Trojans do go 12-1, they will have a very strong chance of making the College Football Playoff.
USC’s first game of the 2023 season is on August 26 against San Jose State.
