Why the USC Trojans are a top threat to rival the SEC's stranglehold on college football
An old force is rising in the West, one made for the bright lights and ready to revel in the fruits of college football's evolved landscape.
An old force that once sat atop college football and may be the biggest threat to breaking through the SEC's stranglehold on the sport.
If games are won in the offseason, then Southern Cal is positioning itself for a big debut season under Lincoln Riley.
Fifteen transfers have poured into USC. That includes the offseason's top prize, quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to Hollywood.
How about a marquee wide receiver to complement Williams?
Pittsburgh's All-America wide receiver Jordan Addison has entered the transfer portal and USC is among the suitors, ESPN reported.
On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine the Trojans' candidacy to be the top threat to SEC for college football supremacy.
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Adams believes Riley's impact at USC will be reminiscent of the way Pete Carroll elevated the program to dynasty status in the early 2000s.
Toppmeyer says the Trojans have all the ingredients for a rise: a marquee coach, a fertile recruiting base, history, and a stage readymade for NIL deals. And, he adds, we've seen there's room in college football for a team to challenge the SEC. Clemson did so throughout the past decade. Other than Alabama, the Tigers were the most dominant team from the 2010s.
Although Adams is bullish on the Trojans' future under Riley, he makes an interesting prediction: USC will make the College Football Playoff before LSU does under Brian Kelly, but Kelly's Tigers will win a national championship before Riley's Trojans.
Later in the episode
We just got a new reason to root for Matt Corral, the Ole Miss quarterback who impressed us with his competitive spirit and team-first mentality during his junior season. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Corral's draft stock – the Carolina Panthers selected him in the third round – was affected by a past that involves alcohol and depression. Corral previously opened up about a 2019 bout with depression. He said he sought therapy to address it, and along the way, he learned how to become a better leader. So, Corral had some personal issues? Who hasn't. That makes him human, not damaged goods. Now, go prove those doubters wrong.
Urban Meyer is nearing a return to Fox Sports, according to multiple reports. Why bother with television? Adams says Meyer belongs on a college sideline.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. John Adams is a senior columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. You can subscribe to their podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: USC Trojans are the team to rival the SEC stranglehold on college football
