USC Football ranked in Top 5 of preseason coaches poll for 2017

USC Football ranks No. 4 in the preseason edition of the Amway Coaches Poll, claiming a projected playoff spot ahead of the 2017 season.

The goal for USC Football in 2017 is to make the College Football Playoff and coaches around the nation think they will do just that.

The preseason Amway Coaches Poll was released on Thursday morning with the Trojans ranked No. 4, grabbing hold of one of the four hypothetical playoff spots ahead of the 2017 season.

Alabama earned the preseason No. 1 spot with Ohio State at No. 2 and Florida State at No. 3.

The Crimson Tide swept through with 49 first place votes, though the Buckeyes and Seminoles picked up a handful along with No. 5 Clemson. USC did not receive any first place votes.

The Trojans are, however, the highest ranked Pac-12 team in the nation as Washington settled in at No. 7 behind USC’s 2017 Rose Bowl opponent Penn State, ranked sixth.

Though USC’s schedule appears daunting in 2017 because of the lack of a bye week, the Trojans won’t face too many teams in the preseason Top 25.

CHECK OUT: Ranking USC’s 2017 Schedule By Threat Level 

Week 2 opponent Stanford slots in at No. 14 while Texas is expected to rise under Tom Herman with the No. 23 ranking. The Trojans will play the Longhorns in Week 3 at the Coliseum.

USC’s only Pac-12 South foe to make the preseason ranking was Utah at No. 25.

More from Reign of Troy

• Markese Stepp enters transfer portal intending to leave USC football
• USC football’s Alijah Vera-Tucker declares for NFL Draft
• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

However, there are more than a few Pac-12 schools on the edge of preseason recognition. Washington State and Colorado, both Trojan opponents for 2017, were the highest vote-getters who didn’t make the cut for the Top 25 with 99 and 72 points respectively.

Oregon, who the Trojans won’t face in the regular season, received 37 points, while Arizona and UCLA appear with two and one points.

Notre Dame was also among those receiving votes with 49.

FALL CAMP: Day 3 Practice Notes

USC’s season opening opponent Western Michigan got votes worth eight points. The men of Troy will kickoff the campaign on September 2 at the Coliseum.