The USC Trojans have the Heisman Trophy favorite on their team. Many are picking them to win the Pac-12 Conference championship and make the College Football Playoff. USC is poised to have its best season since 2008, when the Trojans very nearly played in the BCS National Championship Game and finished in the top four after losing only one game. Last year’s team did win the Rose Bowl, but it lost three games and failed to win either its division or the Pac-12 at large. This year’s team wants to win a conference title for the first time in nine years. What obstacles stand in the way of this team in September, though? It’s important to identify some of the landmines that can trip this team up early in the season.
Sam Darnold Feels The Pressure And Opponents Learn To Attack Him Better
The hype train carrying Sam Darnold’s name around the country is chugging along at full speed. Darnold is the unquestioned Heisman favorite, largely because USC is expected to do extremely well this season. The USC Trojans quarterbacks are the most reliable representatives of the West Coast in the Heisman Trophy voting. When USC is an elite team, its quarterback often shows up in the heat of the Heisman chase. Darnold has to deal with all this pressure and all these expectations. Last year, when he came into the lineup, USC’s season was sinking. The Trojans were not talked about as a national threat. It was easier for Darnold to ignore pressure. This year, he will not have that luxury. He will start on opening day, whereas he didn’t have that burden a year ago. Opponents also have a lot more to study on film, and they might be able to catch the bad throws he makes. Darnold had a lot of interceptions get dropped by defenders last year. If the season turns on Darnold, USC faces a crisis.
The Offensive Line Doesn’t Hold Up
The veteran offensive line which protected Darnold last year was a huge factor in his success. USC struggled with Max Browne at quarterback in September of last season, but the offensive line was fine. Once USC got the right quarterback, the offense clicked. Now, though, a new line means that even with the right quarterback under center, USC can’t be assured of total performance. The new linemen have to be able to do a reasonably good job of protecting Darnold and opening holes for the running game. If this piece doesn’t fall into place in September, USC will be in trouble.
The Defensive Line Struggles
The defensive line is noticeably talented, but also noticeably young. The USC Trojans have elite defensive tackles, but if they get hurt or at least need some time to adjust to what opponents are doing in September, USC could fall behind the pace it needs to establish in order to be on schedule this season. The Pac-12 is unforgiving toward average defenses. USC can’t have a slow start out of the blocks from its younger and more talented defensive linemen. They’ll face a couple of tough offensive teams like Texas (who could be much improved on that side of the ball) and Washington State in their first five games.
The Stanford Cardinal Plays Well
The big game for the USC Trojans in September is the one against Stanford in Week 2. The game often shapes USC’s season, and the Cardinal are intent on restoring themselves as Pac-12 favorites after a modest but genuine downturn in the 2016 season. Stanford’s defense is ferocious – it will give Darnold and the offensive line a major test. If the Cardinal are firing on all cylinders and they beat USC, the Trojans’ title hopes will take a big hit, and the team will face a long climb back to the top once again in 2017. Remember, they’ll still have games against Texas, Washington State, and Notre Dame on the docket, so they can ill-afford to drop the contest to Stanford.
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