USC Football: Trojans Voted 1st In Pac-12 Media Poll

The hype train for USC football in 2015 rolls on as the Pac-12 media poll projects the Trojans to win the conference for the first time since 2008.

The Trojans, who were last voted to win the conference in 2012, picked up 21 of 45 first-place votes over 17 for the Oregon Ducks. They also beat out Arizona State in the Pac-12 South. UCLA checked in at third in the division while Stanford trailed Oregon for the North.

The South division was perhaps the toughest in the country in 2014 and it is shaping up to be one of the more formidable groups for 2015, with five of the six seeing their share of preseason rankings.

Last year, USC finished fourth in the South despite a 9-4 record on the season. Three of those losses were to division rivals. Two of those were in the final seconds of the game against Arizona State and Utah.

Now bolstered by a full recruiting class for the first time since 2010 and the return of Heisman-candidate Cody Kessler, the Trojans have been projected by many to challenge, not just for the Pac-12 title but the national championship as well.

To do so, USC will need to exorcise demons against the Sun Devils, Utes and especially UCLA, who have beaten the Trojans three years running. They also face a tough trip up north to face Oregon at Autzen Stadium for the first time since 2011’s upset victory.

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