USC in unique position that needs to be embracing entering 2025 season

Entering into 2024, particularly after the opening win against LSU, there was a certain degree of hope that USC would do well. Now, with the beginning of the upcoming season about to start and heading into his fourth year in Troy, coach Lincoln Riley has more measured expectations, and some even doubt that 2025 will be able to produce any level of success.

Right now, it is better for the Trojans to be in a position of not having even College Football Playoff expectations placed on the program. Instead, most will be happy to be in the picture or to be around a nine-win team. That is not, of course, what will be the norm. After all, USC is a historical all-time great program.

Simply by the nature of where things are now and how the past season unfolded, the Trojans are in a great position to exceed what is currently believed to be possible in Troy this year.

In sports, there can often be an advantage to being the hunter and not the hunted. Or in the case more specifically of USC, it is a luxury that the Trojans can enjoy this year of not having a target on their back with a certain element of even being overlooked.

Potential outlook for USC

Right now, USC needs to take advantage of flying under the radar and being able to even play with something of an underdog mentality. The second year in the Big Ten will, of course, need to show the needed progression in order for the Trojans to be a competitive team in this conference for a long time to come.

It is not a position that the Trojans will want to be in moving forward. For now, however, there is something of a blessing for the program to be able to not be seen as one of the best in the nation. Coach Riley's team will need to embrace this current challenge.