JD PicKell: USC defense must complement ‘championship level’ offense

USC has had no problem scoring the football through two games under Lincoln Riley. However, predictably, the defense hasn’t been at the same level as the offense. And for as great as they are getting in the end zone, according to On3 analyst JD PicKell, if they can’t get stops, the Trojans won’t aspire to anything.

Over on the On3 YouTube channel, JD PicKell broke down USC’s situation at length. Admitting, yes, they have a terrific offense and playmakers all over that side of the ball. But also that their defensive performance isn’t up to par if the Trojans want to compete for a national title.

You can watch his comments in the video right here around the 3:00-mark, or read what he had to say in full below.

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JD PicKell on USC defense

“The big hinge variable for me is the defense for USC. And they’ve looked strong in the early going too at times. Three pick sixes against Rice, forced four turnovers against Stanford. But they also allowed 200 yards rushing against Stanford. I know that Stanford’s M.O. I know that’s who they want to be, is run the football. So maybe that number is just a tad bit exaggerated, maybe even inflated. But here’s the deal when it comes to Alex Grinch. His defenses are high-risk high-reward. They’re going to dial it up. They’re going to let their guys play on the back end. So you leave yourself just a tad bit exposed to that big play to that big run. When it comes to USC and the rest of their season, the the defense is like the tires. They will go as far as that defense allows them to.

“Because we’ve seen it so far it’s a championship-level offense. It just is. You have elite talent at quarterback. Jordan Addison, who’s the best receiver in the country, until proven otherwise. You have a hundred-yard rusher in Travis Dye. You got a lot of pieces. However, if the defense ends up being that flat tire, I don’t care how good the engine is. I don’t care what that logo is on the car, if it’s a Ferrari, it’s a Porsche, it’s a BMW. You got flat tires, you’re not moving buddy. I’m sorry, that’s how it goes.

“So when I think we find out who USC is on October 15 when they take that trip to Salt Lake City and play Utah. Because we know what Utah’s bringing to the table. [Arkansas coach] Sam Pittman talks about…who’s bringing liquor, who’s bringing iced tea to the party. We know what Utah is bringing to the party. They’ve made no distractions about it. They let you know ahead of time, hey, we’re bringing this, we’ll be there.

“That’s who Utah is they have an identity. They’re going to play tough in the trenches. They’re going to run the football at you. So what happens when Utah decides to hold the ball for the better part of the game and says…Caleb Williams, you got to watch this one from the sideline, my guy. That’s how this is going to go. We’re going to hold the ball. We’re going to take the ball for 35 minutes of the game. Can you beat us. Then, can the defense create stops? Because outside of Utah, judging what Notre Dame did last week, I think all these games are very winnable for USC.”