Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

A year ago, USC fans were booking hotel rooms in South Beach for New Years. This year, there’s been some concern about the Trojans faltering in Week 4 against Utah State. But don’t tell Utah Utes’ head coach Kyle Whittingham about the plight of the 7-5 Trojans, as he still puts USC on top of the Pac-12 South, per The Salt Lake Tribune.

“From a talent standpoint, SC is still the benchmark,” Whittingham said during the Pac-12’s spring teleconference. “I don’t think there’s any question. They’ve had the most talent in the league for a lot of years. … You still have to say the Trojans are the guys that everyone’s trying to catch.”

Talent wise, it’s hard to argue against Whittingham. USC brings in a handful of five-star recruits for the 2013 season, and have arguably the most dynamic skill player in college football, in Marqise Lee.

Comparing Utah’s talent to USC’s talent pool is like comparing apples to oranges or Sprite to Safeway Select, but are the Trojans still the benchmark in the division as a whole? Maybe not, given the wide range of variables to take into account, such as coaching, luck and administration.

Arizona State returns a slew of talent including the best defensive player in the country not named Clowney, and UCLA has a talented quarterback in Brett Hundley, with both of teams sporting better records than the Trojans in 2012. Even internally, you would have to think that there would debates.

Last season, Lane Kiffin made remarks that it’s hard to compete at a top level with the recruiting sanctions in place, alluding to the idea that guys who normally would have been projected to go to USC, are finding themselves at other Pac-12 schools. That sense of entitlement to the riches and excuse would imply that Kiffin wholeheartedly believes that USC should be the benchmark but aren’t in the position to truly be.

Whether or not that’s the case, the Trojans seem to play well of late when the spotlight isn’t on them, like in 2011. Perhaps the pressure on ASU and UCLA could allow USC to reassert themselves as an obvious benchmark. Or, they could continue the troubles of 2012 and decide it in a much different way.

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What say you? Despite the tumultuous 2012 campaign, are the Trojans still the deciding peg in the Pac-12 South? Vote in our poll and discuss it in the comments below.

Apr 13, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans coach Lane Kiffin during the spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Going into the 2013 season, the coach with the hottest seat under him has got to be USC’s Lane Kiffin, and that fact is not lost on him.

The “dream job” that Kiffin assumed when he returned to USC in 2010 hasn’t exactly panned out the way he envisioned. From the crippling NCAA sanctions that he inherited in his very first season to the off-the-field drama riddled 2012 one that saw USC go from preseason No. 1 to un-ranked and pitiful, shining moments from the college football coach that everyone loves to hate have been few and far between.

It’s been an…interesting tenure for Kiffin, to say the least.

In an interview with Ralph Russo from the Associated Press, Kiffin admitted–albeit jokingly–that he has though about coaching at a smaller program or even the high school level.

“I did think the other day what it would be like to be a high school head coach or to be at a small school,” Kiffin said. “I thought about it the other day. The first time. I wonder if there’s something to that peace of mind. Maybe it’s something I can go back and do when I get older. I’m going to go coach high school.

“It’s just the game. It’s the game in its realest sense and it’s fun. Working with the kids and not all this other stuff. You go back and have fun.”

While he said it in jest, there is always a little bit of truth behind every “I’m just kidding” comment.

Kiffin has attracted more drama over his various stints as a head coach than a VH1 dating show, so it’s no surprise that his time in Troy has been less than perfect.

For a coach like Kiffin–one significantly drier and less personable than his predecessor, Pete Carroll–the LA media market can be a tough place. So far, he hasn’t exactly always played nice with those who cover the program.

All those factors being the case, this 2013 is of critical important to Kiffin, as it could mean the difference between sticking around for another year at his dream job, and shopping for new opportunities to coach on Friday nights.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

During USC’s spring practice, Trojans were seemingly dropping like flies. Over 20 players missed action in the spring game due to the mounting injuries, and head coach Lane Kiffin even needed an alumni player, Jeremy Galten, to suit up in place of spring casualties. During a teleconference on Monday afternoon however, Kiffin spoke about injuries and is confident that outside of George Farmer’s torn ACL, none of the spring setbacks will carry over to the fall.

“We are on schedule to have everyone on some participation level by fall practice,” said Kiffin, asserting health by August.

Other than Farmer’s ACL, key injuries included meniscus tears to both Silas Redd and Su’a Cravens, a fractured chest to Xavier Grimble, and lower body injuries put Randall Telfer, Darreus Rogers and Max Wittek on the shelf for parts of camp.

The Trojans also will get the added benefits of having Tre Madden in contact drills, plus the addition of incoming freshmen like Steven Mitchell at receiver, Ty Isaac at running back and Khaliel Rodgers at center.

USC will open their fall camp on Saturday, August 3rd, giving them four weeks of practice to prepare for their season opener in Hawai’i on August 29th.