USC’s first two weeks have done more than build a 2-0 start. They’ve put the Trojans in the conversation for something bigger, and that’s exactly why a new College Football Playoff projection from On3’s Andy Staples is going to land well in Los Angeles.
On Labor Day, Staples unveiled his Week 1 CFP bracketology, and he had USC in the field. Not only that, he slotted the Trojans ahead of No. 2 Oregon, which is the kind of placement that will catch USC fans’ attention immediately.
Staples’ top four seeds came out in this order: No. 11 LSU, No.
1 Ohio State, No. 7 Miami and No.
5 Texas.
From there, the next eight teams were ranked as No. 6 Indiana, No.
3 Georgia, No. 4 Notre Dame, No.
10 Oklahoma, No. 12 Texas Tech, USC, Virginia and Boise State.
That leaves Oregon on the outside in Staples’ projection, along with No. 9 Ole Miss, No.
24 Louisville and No. 13 Alabama among the first four teams out.
It’s a bold early-season call, and one that may not line up with where the AP Poll eventually settles.
Still, USC’s inclusion is the headline for Trojan fans, because Staples has them making their first CFP appearance in school history.
There are reasons the Trojans are getting that kind of early buzz. Lincoln Riley’s team has opened with wins over San José State and Fresno State, and while those opponents won’t move many people on their own, USC has looked sharp doing it.
The most recent statement came in the form of an impressive shutout over Fresno State. Under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, the Trojans’ defense has looked sturdy, giving up only three points with the first team defense. Kennedy Urlacher, Prophet Brown, Jide Abasiri and Luke Wafle have all been among the players making an early impact.
The offense has been rolling too. Jayden Maiava has thrown for 635 yards and five touchdowns already, and he has done it with just six incompletions. His performance against Fresno State earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.
USC still has work ahead before anyone can seriously map out the playoff picture. Louisiana comes to Los Angeles next, and then the Trojans head to Rutgers for their first road game to open Big Ten play. After that, the schedule turns toward a Sept. 26 matchup with Oregon that could tell a lot more about where this team stands.
For now, Staples’ projection gives USC something tangible to point at: national respect, a playoff spot, and a path that would put the Trojans on that stage for the first time. With Oregon looking less polished in Week 1, the idea of USC springing a major upset at home doesn’t feel far-fetched at all.
In Other News...
LSUs Ex-Pro Fight Just Ran Into A Bigger Roster Problem
LSUs roster picture got a lot tighter this week after the Tigers added injured players Aidan Anding and Gabriel Reliford to the official list, bringing the program to the NCAA limit of 105. For a team already juggling roster management and outside scrutiny, the move matters because it leaves no immediate room to add former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, even as the program continues sorting through the broader mess.
The situation has also spilled well beyond the depth chart. The SEC has threatened penalties and even a vote to expel LSU over its efforts to bring in the ex-professionals, while legal action involving LSU officials and the conference is still moving forward. Lane Kiffin has publicly backed the idea of signing Wright and Harris, saying he believed both were deserving of fifth seasons, but for now the Tigers are stuck with a roster logjam and no clear answer on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Made A Roster Decision Fans Never Expected Under SEC Pressure
LSUs roster crunch got a lot more complicated after the Tigers added Gabriel Reliford and Aidan Anding to their 105-player roster, a move that quickly closed the door on two former NFL contract signees, DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris. The decision comes in the middle of a broader fight that has put the program in an uncomfortable spotlight, with the SEC taking a hard line on athletes who previously signed professional contracts and LSU pushing back on that interpretation.
The timing matters because this is not just a depth-chart issue, but a conference-level dispute that already escalated into an amended lawsuit threatening LSUs standing in the SEC. For now, the Tigers have chosen to move forward with two non-former professional players instead of opening those spots to Wright and Harris, leaving the bigger question unresolved as the legal and conference pressure continues to build. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces Mounting SEC Pressure In Fight That Could Force A Response
LSUs roster decision has turned into a broader SEC headache, with the conference now pressing the school over a move that brought former NFL players back into college football. Tony Clayton, who represents DaeQuan Wright and Zxavaian Harris, publicly took aim at commissioner Greg Sankey after LSU declined to roster his clients and instead added two injured players, a sequence that has only added fuel to an already tangled dispute.
The conference has threatened to expel LSU for violating bylaws that bar former professional players from returning to college, and the matter has spilled into federal court with the SEC, NCAA and LSU all caught in the legal crosscurrents. Lane Kiffin has denied orchestrating the players return, but he has backed them legally, leaving LSU in the middle of a fight that is no longer just about a depth chart and could end up forcing a response from the conference office. [Read more 🡒]