USC ranking exclusion makes sense to a degree, far from destiny, however

It has been since 2019 that USC last entered the season as an unranked team based on the AP Top 25 Poll. This news does not exactly come as a surprise, particularly for Trojan fans.

An aspect that needs to be remembered, however, is what is supposed to, or at least should, go into the decision process during the preseason. While it is true that USC has not earned, according to some, any recognition, that can be said of every team in the nation. This is a new season, and any past accolades or wins do not carry over. What any preseason poll or ranking needs to be about is how a team is viewed currently while also projecting ahead.

When anticipating what is likely to be a continued improved unit on defense and the returners on offense, it is hard to imagine there being too many teams that the Trojans would not at least be able to be competitive against.

Because of that, it could be interpreted as harsh to not have USC in the Top 25. That being said, what is great about this sport is that the results are all that ultimately matter. All of the preseason hype and talk gets proven right or wrong by the end of the season.

Potential help for USC

At this point in time, the exclusion can be used as further motivation by the Trojan players and staff. It may be entirely reasonable to not have USC ranked right now; by the time conference play rolls around, USC will have plenty of chances to show if they in fact deserve to be included in the Top 25 or not.

With the potential of also sneaking into the College Football Playoffs, the highest expectations of the year for USC could end up comfortably having the Trojans ranked. Until then, the staff can use this as additional bulletin board material and as a goal for the team.