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USC lands in top 25 of preseason AP Poll

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney•08/12/24•

ErikTMcKinney

USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to quarterback Miller Moss during the Trojans' 2024 spring game
USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to quarterback Miller Moss during the Trojans' 2024 spring game (acscottphotography/WeAreSC)

The USC Trojans landed as the No. 23 team in the nation in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll released Monday morning.

It’s the same ranking Lincoln Riley’s program received in the preseason Coaches Poll. Riley continues his streak of Top 25 starts as a head coach. But last year’s USC team was the first time he finished a season unranked. USC was as high as No. 5 in the country in the Week 4 AP poll, then dropped five straight weeks down to No. 24 before leaving the poll for good in Week 11.

The Trojans will have a chance to rise quickly in the polls this season thanks to a schedule with some big-time matchups on it.

USC will open the season in Las Vegas against the No. 13 LSU Tigers. The Trojans will also take on three top-ten teams in the AP poll in No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Penn State and No. 9 Michigan. Other USC opponents this season include Washington, Nebraska and Wisconsin, which all received votes in the poll.

The Trojans have earned a top-25 ranking in the AP Poll every year since 2002, but USC hasn’t finished the season as a top-ten team in the AP Poll since the 2016 season, when the Trojans finished No. 3. They’ve finished inside the top 20 just twice since then, incluing No. 12 after the 2022 season.

Complete 2024 preseason AP Poll

  1. Georgia (46 first-place votes)
  2. Ohio State (7 first-place votes)
  3. Oregon
  4. Texas (1 first-place vote)
  5. Alabama
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Notre Dame
  8. Michigan (1 first-place vote)
  9. Penn State
  10. Florida State
  11. Missouri
  12. LSU
  13. Utah
  14. Clemson
  15. Tennessee
  16. Oklahoma
  17. Kansas State
  18. Oklahoma State
  19. Miami
  20. Texas A&M
  21. Arizona
  22. North Carolina State
  23. USC
  24. Kansas
  25. Iowa

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz