Notable projection has USC in surprising spot in preseason rankings

There is a lot to look forward to this year from USC. The Trojans have many positive aspects going for the program, and the way in which the staff and players are going about their business is going to help tremendously once the games start.

It is interesting to note that ESPN has USC ranked at number 14 through the FPI rankings. FPI, or Football Power Index, aims to take into account how well all teams are and provide something of an even evaluating field for all programs across the nation.

To have the Trojans expected to do as well as these rankings suggest should instill some confidence among the more skeptical ones in the Trojan fanbase.

USC has an FPI score of 14.2. While Michigan also has a score of 14.2, the rankings gave the Trojans the slight edge. Even so, to be in the top 15 speaks to the anticipated improvement that is expected to come for coach Lincoln Riley's team in his fourth year in Los Angeles.

It is also notable that based on this metric, USC is also placed higher than SMU and Indiana, who made the College Football Playoff last season. Their past success is not necessarily going to continue into this year after all.

Positive outlook for USC

What this should once again show is that the past is far from destiny. Teams need to be given the chance to improve and show on the field that they can turn around narratives. Certainly after the past couple of seasons in Troy, there is reason enough for some Trojan fans to feel down about the program.

This projection should show that fate is far from sealed. With the improvements and aspects that are getting better, 2025 is poised to be a good one, even surpassing the expectations of some within the Trojan fanbase.