USC ready to take the learned lessons into 2nd year in Big Ten

It is not exactly a secret that USC's first year in the Big Ten did not go according to plan. Granted, context also needs to be added. In terms of the scoreline and being competitive, the team was pretty much there, even during the losses in 2024.

Take out the Notre Dame game, which the Fighting Irish ended up winning by 14, which is not close, but it certainly would be doable to have potentially flipped that one, and USC lost five single-possession affairs.

Yes, the end product is ultimately judged on wins. This should show that the right system and mindset are instilled within the team and that the Trojans would actually not be nearly as behind as the record may suggest.

That would only be the case, however, if the Trojans then approached the offseason with a certain spirit of wanting to control their own destiny and turn some of those fourth-quarter deficits into leads late on in ball games.

Because of that, there should actually be a lot of reason to feel decently okay about where USC is heading into 2025. Even the harshest of coach Lincoln Riley critics have to acknowledge that this Trojan staff is vastly improved and that the tone throughout the building is much better.

USC ready to exceed conference expectations

Now, looking to have a better second year in the new conference home, achieving at least a winning conference record in the Big Ten is something that is looking more attainable. This is certainly the case when comparing how the pulse of the team was following the loss to Maryland, which ended up capping a three-game losing streak.

Between the returners on offense and the enhanced expected play in the trenches, USC will be in a position to be more than just a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big Ten. They could very well be pushing for one of the playoff spots.