Either Godfrey isn't as plugged in to the vibe at USC as he thinks he is or I'm not, because man, I don't think any sane member of that fanbase, staff, or admin is expecting 10 wins this season with this schedule. His 9-win projection would frankly be an overachievement. Their Vegas win total is set at 7 for good reason: as it stands now…
Either Godfrey isn't as plugged in to the vibe at USC as he thinks he is or I'm not, because man, I don't think any sane member of that fanbase, staff, or admin is expecting 10 wins this season with this schedule. His 9-win projection would frankly be an overachievement. Their Vegas win total is set at 7 for good reason: as it stands now, they're clear dogs against LSU, Michigan, Penn State, and ND along with arguable toss-ups against Wisconsin, Washington, Nebraska, etc. If I'm a reasonable USC fan (which I like to at least think I am), I'm content to let others in the conference scrap for second place behind Ohio State in 2024 as long as I'm seeing:
1.) Measurable improvement on defense. The staff looks good on paper, but was all the talk about finally taking that side of the ball seriously (read: in practice and game prep) just lip-service from Lincoln? They don't need to become the '85 Bears overnight, but let's see sound fundamentals, proper alignments, and fewer missed tackles.
2.) More cohesion on the O-line. Seems like a sneaky-underdiscussed issue in light of the glaring ones on defense, but are we sure they've got the right guy in Josh Henson? Where is this unit going? I expect if Miller Moss is the full-season starter that he'll make them look better on passing downs given how quickly he seems to get the ball out, but can they get any semblance of a run game going against a team like Michigan?
3.) The staff hold on to a good portion of their blue-chip commits. Do I expect them to sign all three of Justus Terry, Julian Lewis, and Isaiah Gibson? Probably not. Can they keep at least two of those three and land a couple more?
Either Godfrey isn't as plugged in to the vibe at USC as he thinks he is or I'm not, because man, I don't think any sane member of that fanbase, staff, or admin is expecting 10 wins this season with this schedule. His 9-win projection would frankly be an overachievement. Their Vegas win total is set at 7 for good reason: as it stands now, they're clear dogs against LSU, Michigan, Penn State, and ND along with arguable toss-ups against Wisconsin, Washington, Nebraska, etc. If I'm a reasonable USC fan (which I like to at least think I am), I'm content to let others in the conference scrap for second place behind Ohio State in 2024 as long as I'm seeing:
1.) Measurable improvement on defense. The staff looks good on paper, but was all the talk about finally taking that side of the ball seriously (read: in practice and game prep) just lip-service from Lincoln? They don't need to become the '85 Bears overnight, but let's see sound fundamentals, proper alignments, and fewer missed tackles.
2.) More cohesion on the O-line. Seems like a sneaky-underdiscussed issue in light of the glaring ones on defense, but are we sure they've got the right guy in Josh Henson? Where is this unit going? I expect if Miller Moss is the full-season starter that he'll make them look better on passing downs given how quickly he seems to get the ball out, but can they get any semblance of a run game going against a team like Michigan?
3.) The staff hold on to a good portion of their blue-chip commits. Do I expect them to sign all three of Justus Terry, Julian Lewis, and Isaiah Gibson? Probably not. Can they keep at least two of those three and land a couple more?