Joel Klatt explains why 2023 is best chance for USC to make College Football Playoff, compete for national title

If there was ever a time for USC to make and win it all in the College Football Playoff, it’s now according to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt.

The toughest part of USC’s journey to the top? It’s the schedule. Otherwise, this team actually has something previous Lincoln Riley teams didn’t.

It’s a good defense and that’s all the Trojans really need, according to Klatt.

“They are, I’ll say this … I never had questions about their offense,” Klatt said on The Herd. “Okay, so like, whether they were as good, just a little bit worse, a little bit better, their offense was going to be their offense. And I think their offense is a little bit better than it was a year ago. Now, that’s not the question for USC and it’s not the question for any Lincoln Riley team.

“The question has always been for Lincoln Riley to play at the top end, to put them in the echelon of an Alabama or a top four team in the sport, would they play requisite defense? And I’m here to tell you when I watch the game film, they are better up front.”

Klatt mentioned what wasn’t so good about the USC defense and it’s in the backend.

“Now listen … I don’t like their corners, I like, I just don’t love (them),” Klatt said. “They’re disruptive upfront … Their linebacker core is faster and better tacklers than they were a year ago. That disruptive nature that they have means that they are now what I would consider is a good defense. They’re not a great defense.”

Through three games, USC only gave up 52 points, already not a bad start. If the pace continues, USC could find itself cruising to the CFP.

“Lincoln Riley’s never had a good defense,” Klatt said. “So to your point in the playoff, folks if you if you actually study the playoff and what the nature of games are in the playoff, at some point, you’ve got to go win a game 45-42. This team can absolutely do that. Not a question in my mind. They’re better than the Baker Mayfield–Oklahoma team that took Georgia to overtime in the Rose Bowl. 

“The only question I have for USC is only one, it’s the depth of that schedule. Again we go back to the Pac-12. They’ve got to play a lot of great teams … They play nine consecutive weeks against Power Five opponents to end the season because their last week on Thanksgiving is a bye, which is wild. Nine consecutive weeks against power five opponents is unheard of in this sport. And so the fact of the matter is, their most difficult opponent I believe is their schedule.”