Bruce Feldman details how USC can contend for College Football Playoff

Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman knows there needs to be more balance for USC if the Trojans are to contend for the College Football Playoff.

Caleb Williams is the returning Heisman winner, so USC doesn’t have to worry about quarterback. But the defense needs to be balance to help out the potential No. 1 overall pick.

Without that, USC might fall short just like last season.

“They feel very much like the Baker Mayfield team that OU was and they lost to Georgia in a shootout in the Rose Bowl,” Feldman said on The Herd. “USC took transfers last year, and some of them were okay. But they have a better caliber of athletes and players now on defense. I think it’s year two for the defense, they were imploding and melting down in the fourth quarter of games. I talked to Alex Grinch, the defensive coordinator, he was with Lincoln at OU. And he knows exactly what he’s getting into. 

“I think the biggest challenges for them are upgrading their talent, which I think they’ve done, getting more physical and their bodies bigger and stronger, which is a process but I think they’re getting closer to that on defense.”

Not only does the defense has to improve, but USC can’t turn the ultimate team game into an individual sport.

“But I also think it’s the mentality of knowing we cannot just rely on ‘Oh, Caleb is going to save us in a shootout in the fourth quarter,’ because it didn’t work against Utah both times and honestly it didn’t work against Tulane in the bowl game,” Feldman said. “If they can show they go from being a top 10 team to a legit playoff contender that can do damage, because I tell you this after watching Ohio State against Georgia last year, I don’t think anybody wants to play Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams in the playoffs. 

“If that guy gets hot, and he usually is, you gotta feel like you have to score every possession because I don’t care how many five stars Georgia has on defense.”

Williams hamstring injuries arguably held USC back late in the year, particularly in the Pac-12 championship game, a second loss to Utah.

“You know, he’s going to be a problem and if he’s healthy, and last year at the end of the year, right you know, his hamstring kind of gave out against Utah in the Pac 12 title game,” Feldman said. “But you have a puncher’s chance when you are that good on offense. Now the defense just needs to, I don’t wanna say hold up its end. They need to be competitive. It cannot ever be, giving up 17 points in the fourth quarter.”