Where USC ranks in ESPN Power Rankings, SP+ heading into 2023 season
About one week away from USC’s first game of the 2023 college football season, the consensus appears to be that the Trojans might just be pretty good this season. The Trojans rank No. 6 in both the AP and Coaches polls. And ESPN sees them as a top-10 team in both its power and SP+ rankings.
USC brings back the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Caleb Williams. And the Trojans added at least a dozen potential starters via the transfer portal and 2023 recruiting class. That was enough for ESPN to also place USC at No. 6 in its power rankings.
The Trojans landed below LSU at No. 5 and the quartet of Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama at Nos. 1-4. But one of the 57 college football experts at ESPN to vote on the rankings thinks highly enough of the Trojans heading into the season to award them a first-place vote.
Unsurprisingly, several of USC’s opponents are within the top 25 of the ESPN power rankings. Washington sits at No. 12. Utah is No. 13. Notre Dame is No. 14. And Oregon is No. 15. The fact has been pointed out repeatedly this offseason that the Trojans will play those four teams in a five-week span between Oct. 13 and Nov. 11. That run of Pac-12 opponents will go a long way in determining whether USC will make it into the conference championship game and remain in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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USC Drops in the SP+ Rankings
USC landed at No. 7 in the ESPN SP+ rankings coming out of spring ball. But the Trojans dropped to No. 10 in these updated rankings heading into the season.
SP+ takes into account returning production, recent recruiting and recent history to give a “tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.”
The Trojans slipped in both the offensive and defensive SP+ rankings over the past several months. USC is now the No. 2 offense after grabbing the No. 1 spot in late May. And the Trojans are No. 47 on the defensive side of the ball, down from No. 39 in the previous rankings. Factoring in special teams to this ranking also dropped the Trojans a bit.
USC is the top-ranked Pac-12 team in the SP+ rankings.
The Trojans rank highly in returning production on both sides of the ball. USC is No. 11 overall, returning 75% of its 2022 production (a number that is also weighted by position in these rankings). The Trojans return 73% of the production on offense, which ranks No. 30 overall. And USC brings back 76% of its defensive production, which is good for No. 14 overall. The Trojans are one of just 10 programs to rank in the top 30 on both sides of the ball.
