Donovan James
August 12, 2024 11:38 am PT
It happened again. USC football, which was almost shut out of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, was nearly excluded from the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Trojans were buried near the bottom of the poll once again, a clear sign that national writers — just like the nation’s college football coaches who vote in these polls — aren’t taking USC and Lincoln Riley very seriously. The Trojans do face a tough schedule, and that is certainly a reasonable basis for downgrading the Trojans, but USC is placed far below a number of other teams which don’t seem to be notably better than the Trojans, if they are even better at all.
Let’s give you the preseason AP Top 25 poll, with USC’s season opener against LSU now under three weeks away:
1. Georgia Bulldogs
Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Ncaa Football Peach Bowl Ohio State At Georgia
Georgia is No. 1 in both preseason polls. The Bulldogs will pursue a third national title in four seasons.
Follow UGA Wire for more coverage.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
USA TODAY Syndication — The Columbus Dispatch
The Buckeyes are No. 2 in both preseason polls, due to having a loaded defense from returning players and transfer portal additions.
Follow Buckeyes Wire for more coverage.
3. Oregon Ducks
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
Oregon is expected to make the College Football Playoff semifinals, given how well it has recruited and portaled in the offseason. All the pressure is on Dan Lanning to deliver on the field, given how well he has done off the field in Eugene.
Follow Ducks Wire for more coverage.
4. Texas Longhorns
Sara Diggins/American-Statesman-USA TODAY Sports
Texas moves to the SEC and faces a tougher challenge than it did in the Big 12. However, with the playoff being 12 teams and not four, Texas will still be expected to make the field.
Follow Longhorns Wire for more coverage.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Kalen DeBoer replaces Nick Saban, and all eyes are on the man who led Washington to the national title game last season.
Follow Roll Tide Wire for more coverage.
6. Ole Miss Rebels
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Lane Kiffin has a great chance to make the playoff in the new 12-team era. Let’s see if he can capitalize on the opportunity in front of him.
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The pressure is on Lincoln Riley at USC, but it is also on Marcus Freeman at Notre Dame this year.
Follow Fighting Irish Wire for more coverage.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
USC versus Penn State on Oct. 12 will be huge.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire for more coverage.
9. Michigan Wolverines
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
USC visits Michigan on Sept. 21. We can’t wait … but we will have to.
Follow Wolverines Wire for more coverage.
10. Florida State Seminoles
USA TODAY Sports Syndication: Tallahassee Democrat
Florida State deserved to be in last year’s four-team playoff. The Seminoles will try to win the ACC again and make the 2024 12-team playoff.
Follow FSU Wire for more coverage.
11. Missouri Tigers
USA TODAY Sports Syndication: Columbus Dispatch
Missouri won the Cotton Bowl last season and is a contender for a playoff berth this season. Can Eli Drinkwitz pull it off? He will become a coaching star if he does.
12. Utah Utes
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Cam Rising is back at quarterback for Utah. The Utes move into the Big 12 and are a favorite to win the league.
13. LSU Tigers
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
LSU is many spots ahead of USC, despite losing Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers — two top-five NFL draft picks — and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. That shows you how little poll voters think of USC. Tigers-Trojans is Sept. 1 in Las Vegas.
Follow LSU Tigers Wire for more coverage.
14. Clemson Tigers
Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Can Dabo Swinney regain the winning edge he has lost the past several years? It is one of the bigger questions of the season.
Follow Clemson Wire for more coverage.
15. Tennessee Volunteers
USA TODAY Sports Syndication: Knoxville News-Sentinel
Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football
Tennessee was spectacular in 2022, ordinary in 2023. Can the Vols be great again in 2024?
Follow Vols Wire for more coverage.
16. Oklahoma Sooners
USA TODAY Sports Syndication: The Oklahoman
venables
Oklahoma is well ahead of USC in both the coaches’ poll and this AP Poll.
Follow Sooners Wire for more coverage.
17. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma State and Oklahoma are ranked right next to each other. That is notable, with the two schools now in separate conferences due to OU’s move to the SEC.
18. Kansas State Wildcats
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas State is several spots ahead of USC. Do writers really think KSU has significantly better talent than the Trojans?
19. Miami Hurricanes
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Mario Cristobal has coached very, very poorly at Miami, and yet the Hurricanes are inside the top 20 and USC is not. Weird.
20. Texas A&M Aggies
Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Elko will try to do at Texas A&M what Jimbo Fisher could not: Lead the Aggies to the playoff.
Follow Aggies Wire for more coverage.
21. Arizona Wildcats
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona lost several important players from its roster but is still ranked ahead of USC.
22. Kansas Jayhawks
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas is ranked ahead of USC. The Trojans simply have to earn respect — it won’t be given to them.
23. USC Trojans
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
It really is this simple: Coaches and writers do not trust Lincoln Riley to fix USC’s defense. The Trojans are being doubted, and they will simply have to silence those doubts on the field. USC-LSU, on Sept. 1, is the Trojans’ big chance to change a lot of minds.
