Paul Finebaum says Notre Dame, Pac-12 Championship could hurt USC's playoff chances
The turnaround of USC football continues to be one of the most impressive stories in college football this season, as Lincoln Riley has the Trojans locking up a Pac-12 Championship game spot and still fighting for a playoff spot. On SportsCenter on Sunday morning, ESPN Radio host Paul Finebaum credited USC for its 48-45 win over rival UCLA, but said he sees an upcoming bumpy path for the Trojans.
“They performed on their biggest stage yesterday, but unfortunately for them, they still have two more stages that they have to get by on,” Finebaum said. “It was a tremendous victory against a UCLA team that many people thought was in the position of winning that game. However, it all went astray, you mentioned the reason, Caleb Williams. So, what do they have to do now? They have to beat Notre Dame. That sounds tremendously difficult if you follow college football. Notre Dame is not that great, although they’re playing better right now. And then a Pac-12 Championship game where, I think, the problems really lie.”
The win over UCLA made USC a 10-win football team for the first time since 2017. Since 2010, USC has been searching to get back on top of the college football world. Prying Riley away from Oklahoma appears to have been a significant step toward that goal. A key reason for that is because of who Riley brought with him.
After accepting the USC job, Riley convinced his former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams to follow him to Southern California after hitting the transfer portal. Williams has thrown for 3,480 yards, 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season. On Saturday, Williams threw for a season-high 470 yards to go along with two touchdowns and a third touchdown on the ground. His play could be what helps carry the Trojans to the playoff.
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If USC is to make it into the playoff, it must remain perfect and possibly even get some help along the way. The Trojans sat at No. 7 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings but one team ahead of them — No. 5 Tennessee — lost over the weekend. USC will likely climb in the next rankings but still has work to do.
The Trojans can continue to strengthen their case for a playoff spot next Saturday against rival Notre Dame. The battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh takes place next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.