5 fixes USC football must make to avoid another Big Ten plunge

We’ve seen this introduction before from USC football under Lincoln Riley.Every year, in fact.It involves a great start against overmatched teams, leading to bold proclamations.Look at that offense! This is the Trojans’ year! Who could possibly stop them?A deflating answer has presented itself by midseason.Every year, in fact.Utah in 2022.Notre Dame and Utah in 2023.

Half the teams on their schedule in 2024.Illinois and Notre Dame in 2025.Those stumbles have kept USC out of the College Football Playoff, something that cannot happen again in 2026 without seriously endangering Riley’s job.So how do the Trojans fashion a different trajectory after opening this season in similarly spectacular fashion to recent years?Riley contended there’s not one major issue that’s been an ongoing concern, but lots of little things could add up as the competition stiffens.

Here are five fixes that need to be made as No.12 USC (3-0) prepares to open its Big Ten schedule at Rutgers (0-2) on Saturday:The bloody gashes on Gary Patterson’s face last weekend were a metaphor for what’s happened to USC’s defense in pockets over the first three games.Now that defense needs to respond like Patterson did after the defensive coordinator got knocked off his feet by a player colliding with him on the sideline.Dismissing offers to help him up, Patterson rose to make the next call.While his defense has mostly held firm – especially up front – there have been some concerning moments in the secondary and late in games.

The Trojans gave up 23 points in the fourth quarter against San Jose State and 14 in the fourth quarter against Louisiana.Some will dismiss that as mostly happening when second- and third-stringers were in the game, but there have been wider coverage concerns and too many big plays given up before the fourth quarter.USC also struggled to stop mobile Ragin’ Cajun quarterback Lunch Winfield, who accounted for three touchdowns and ran for 91 yards.If the Trojans can�...