USC Football: Trojans Defensive Woes Cause Drop in Pac-12 Power Rankings

Two straight poor showings.

USC's national title hopes aren't looking great upon early season returns despite boasting arguably the best quarterback in all of college football. 

Try as Caleb Williams might, the reigning Heisman quarterback can't play defense, and Alex Grinch's unit has already cost the Trojans a spot atop their conference let alone the entire country. 

3. USC TROJANS (5-0, 3-0)

Offseason promises of an improved defense have so far gone unfulfilled at USC, where head coach

Lincoln Riley

offered a

vote of confidence

to defensive coordinator

Alex Grinch

despite a pitiful performance at Colorado. The Buffaloes outgained the Trojans, 564-498, one week after managing just 199 yards at Oregon. That is a troublesome sign for a unit that also allowed 28 points to Arizona State the week prior. USC has the nation’s best scoring offense, but until it takes a step forward on the other side of the ball, it might be difficult to trust it against the Pac-12’s other top contenders.

via Carter Bahns, 24/7 Sports

Both the Oregon Ducks and the Washington rank ahead of the Men of Troy in the Pac-12 rankings along with the official AP polls. 

Though all three teams rank within the national top 10, USC's failure to contain their two most recent opponents could doom them when it's time to compete for the conference championship. 

Tackling remains a big concern for the Trojans defense which comes as a surprise after last year's defensive fiasco against Utah for a crack at the Pac-12 title in 2022. 

Just one week after a scare against unranked Arizona State, USC's defense collapsed down the stretch against a Colorado offense that the Ducks just handled with relative ease in Week 4. 

If these issues don't get fixed in time for January, Williams' potential Heisman repeat will pale in comparison to the honor of being a national champion alongside his USC teammates. 

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