Analyzing USC fans' worst case scenario following Week 1 game

USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch on what he saw from the USC defense in Game 1

On Wednesday’s edition of Andy Staples On3 Podcast, Staples brought on fellow On3 college football expert J.D PicKell to review some of the top storylines heading into Week 1 of the college football season.

One segment the duo went over was some of the top program’s worst-case scenarios in their season openers. However, one of the teams they were concerned with already has a win under their belt this season in the USC Trojans. Still, PicKell and Staples gave their thoughts on what if the Trojans defense has multiple lapses for the second week in a row against a lesser opponent.

“If Nevada gashes USC’s defense a few times, and look, USC probably wins the game 47-21,” said Staples. “But if you get a few more chunk plays, coverage busts, missed assignment-type things like you saw in that first game against San Jose State, some of the USC fan base was obviously a little concerned during the game. After the game, they had some time to think about it, and they go, you know what, they were trying a bunch of freshmen in a bunch of different places. Understandable that you might have a coverage busted every once in a while.

“But if it happens again against an overmatched opponent, then they start going, ‘Oh God, what happens when its Notre Dame, what happens when it’s Utah, what happens when it’s Oregon?’ It will be just the sky is falling.’”

In their Week 0 matchup against San Jose State, USC’s defense left plenty of meat on the bone, allowing the Spartans offense to put up some decent numbers. San Jose State put up nearly 400 yards of total offense, 198 through the air and 198 on the ground, to go along with three passing and one rushing touchdowns. On top of that, USC failed to force San Jose State into committing a single turnover in the game.

In the season opener, it is understandable to have a few mishaps both offensively and defensively. USC had their fair share of opportunities offensively, like the fumbled snap that star quarterback Caleb Williams turned into a touchdown pass. Still, the offense isn’t the problem; the issue would be if the Trojans struggled defensively for the second week in a row against a team that is not in the hunt for a national championship.

“Last game, too, you had Chevan Cordeiro, who’s going into his sixth year playing college football,” said PicKell. “And to your point, Andy, you could reason and say, ‘ OK, there are some things here that need to be adjusted.’ And I think that it’s a pretty fair conversation if you are a USC fan that what you saw in game one doesn’t have to be what you roll out in that game against Notre Dame in South Bend.

“But, like you said, if it’s multiple games in a row where you’re like, ‘OK, there is something seriously wrong here.’ And you point the finger back at Alex Grinch, saying ‘We got coverage busted against teams that we shouldn’t have coverage busted against in our second week of playing competitive football, like, what is going on?'”

As the segment closes, PicKell turned his attention to what this worst-case scenario could mean for USC and its fans. It wouldn’t be just the fact that USC assembled another promising team only to come up short, but that they couldn’t rally around arguably one of the greatest college football players in recent history.

“We’re aligned here on what USC could be with Caleb Williams. If you don’t have the defense to go with him at USC, you’re wasting a generational talent.”