Boo Corrigan responds to USC’s strength of schedule question, impact on ranking

After the College Football Playoff Selection Committee revealed its Top 25 ahead of Week 12, including the list of top contenders for the four spots in the CFP field, chairman Boo Corrigan joined ESPN host Rece Davis to break down why some of the decisions were made and what they mean to teams outside the current playoff picture.

Plain and simple, Boo Corrigan told Rece Davis that what has impressed the 13 members most about USC so far is the offense’s ability to win and put up big numbers. Despite questions about the strength of schedule, the committee clearly places enough value in the production of Caleb Williams in Lincoln Riley’s offense to leave the door open for the Pac-12’s top team.

“They’ve continued to win games,” said Corrigan. “They have the one loss at Utah in a 2-point conversion – I believe it was 43-42 – in a really emotional game if you remember back to that game at Utah. And again, that’s the one loss that they have, the one blemish they have.

“They got the win over Oregon State and have continued to win, continued offensively scoring 40-plus points per game, having over 500 yards per game. That really drove the day for them to be No. 7.”

USC still has opportunities to strengthen its resume to close the season with games against Top 25 opponents UCLA and Notre Dame ahead of a potential Pac-12 championship game which would likely offer another Top 25 opportunity. However, as things stand the Trojans will likely still require some help in the form of losses from others ahead of them on the bubble.

More comments from Boo Corrigan

When asked about No. 4 TCU, who remained stationary despite picking up a Top 25 win over Texas on the road by showcasing a new element of their game – defense – Boo Corrigan told Rece Davis that this year’s panel has taken week-over-week improvement under serious consideration.

“You’re looking for improvement during the course of the year,” said Corrigan. “And for their defense to give up three points, obviously the other touchdown was a scoop-and-score by Texas, but as you look at the whole package, again, they continue to improve. They’ve earned the opportunity to be in the top four and we have them No. 4.”

The words of Corrigan also give a glimmer of hope to teams like USC and Clemson who find themselves outside the current bubble but now have a few more weeks to prove how much they have improved since losing.