Big Ten - #23 USC Trojans
The concept of a team being “overrated” is difficult to gauge. The obvious response to someone saying, “Team X is overrated,” is: “What are they rated”? For this exercise, a team’s rating is determined by its preseason ranking in the AP Poll, and they are overrated or underrated depending on where we believe they will finish the season. The USC Trojans are ranked 23rd, but I do not think they finish the season in the poll, and they earn the moniker of the Big Ten’s most overrated team. The Trojans had a disappointing 2023 season, largely thanks to a defense that surrendered more points than nearly everyone in the country. The Trojans gave up 34.4 points per game, the 13th-worst number in the country. They were just barely ahead of 1-11 Kent State! Lincoln Riley knew it was not good enough, so he changed defensive coordinators. Still, the personnel was not considerably upgraded, and they now have to figure out how to move on from Caleb Williams. Miller Moss is still unproven, and the wide receivers and running backs he’ll be working with are not special. Riley has his work cut out for him in the Trojans’ inaugural season in the Big Ten.
USC Trojans Win Total: 7.5
