Caleb Williams hoping Cotton Bowl can help build momentum towards 2023

When Caleb Williams followed head coach Lincoln Riley to USC from Oklahoma, the pair were looking to quickly rebuild the Trojans’ program. They were, undeniably, successful in doing that, competing for the College Football Playoff and earning a Cotton Bowl bid in the process. Meanwhile, Williams brought home the Heisman Trophy.

Still, the Cotton Bowl felt like a letdown to some. After all, a win in the PAC-12 Championship would likely have sent USC to the CFP. Still, Caleb Williams sees an opportunity in the Cotton Bowl.

“That was one of the main things that I said yesterday,” Caleb Williams said. “Obviously, we want to be in the College Football Playoff, but to be able to help lift a team that went 4-8 last year here to go 11-2, hopefully, 12-2 at the end of this, is pretty special.”

For Caleb Williams, the goal at USC is clear. It’s to go to the College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship. They aren’t able to do that this season, but for him, this is a chance to build momentum going into the 2023 season.

“Proud of it, but you want to be in the College Football Playoff and go get the national championship and be in position to go get a national championship. So, not being there, obviously, you feel some way about it, but getting to this point, getting to the Cotton Bowl, it’s a New Year’s Six Bowl, and it’s a special bowl. It’s one of the most historic bowls. To be able to get a win and come out 12-2 at the end of this year, after how special it’s been, what we’ve been able to achieve and do, it would carry huge momentum for the new guys coming in, for the transfers to freshmen, and for the guys that are coming back or can come back it’s gonna be special for us too,” Caleb Williams said.

“We’ve been in positions where we were this close or that close to going to the College Football Playoff and so it’ll help build a bridge to where we want to be next year.”

USC will play Tulane out of the AAC in the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd.

Lincoln Riley says that Caleb Williams is ready to go

There was concern that Caleb Williams was going to miss the Cotton Bowl. He played through a hamstring injury during the PAC-12 Championship Game and there was some thought that he needed time to heal. However, head coach Lincoln Riley says that he’s good to go.

“He’s ready to play. He has progressed maybe a little faster than what we anticipated. Certainly very fortunate on our part that we had the opportunity to have a month really before we had this game. I mean, had it been even two weeks, I doubt he would’ve been available. So that extra time has helped,” Riley explained.

“He’s done a good job, along with our medical staff, from the second that the PAC-12 Championship Game was over, really working hard to get back to it. Practiced well, really with no limitations, and expect him to play very well.”