Unlike past seasons when the bye week seemed like some blessing of relief for this program and this fan base, the first weekend of the fall without a USC football game has probably left most Trojans fans longing a bit.
Well, there's nothing we can do about the bye week, but we can give you plenty of debate and discussion to digest about the 6-1, No. 12-ranked Trojans.
The TrojanSports.com staff came together for an extra-long roundtable discussion this week, picking our mid-season MVPs on both sides of the ball, our biggest surprises on offense and defense, the players we expect to make a bigger impact the rest of the way, our thoughts on the Trojans' Pac-12 championship and College Football Playoff chances and more.
Hopefully, this can help fill some of the void for the weekend ...
1. Overall, what should fans' satisfaction level with the start of the Lincoln Riley Era be on a scale of 1-10?
Ryan Young: "I would like to give a more nuanced, less obvious answer here, but I can't justify anything less than a 10. I mean, it was less than a year ago that USC couldn't even convince all of its players to make the road trip to Cal for the finale of a miserable 4-8 season. Less than a year later and the major fret in the fan base is that the Trojans may have jeopardized their College Football Playoff chances by taking their first loss of the season last weekend or that the defense played its first truly bad game. Lincoln Riley has performed veritable magic these last 11 months in rebuilding the roster, culture and identity of this program. Riley inspired immense expectations when he was hired, and he's somehow exceeded them thus far. From the nadir of the Clay Helton Era to immediately being restored as a top Pac-12 contender and nationally-relevant team, anything less than a 10 is just trying too hard to zag."
Tajwar Khandaker: "Yes, on the realism scale, I think it has to be an easy 10. I don’t really know what more fans could expect in Riley’s first year at the helm than what he’s done with this team. From 4-8 to legitimately earning playoff talk past the halfway point of the next year is a remarkable turnaround, and Riley is both directly or indirectly responsible for a majority of the reasons why that’s been possible. The upgrading of the roster through both the portal and in USC’s recruiting wins of the past year are both certainly largely attributable to his draw as a head coach. Riley inherited a team with numerous holes, and the job he and his staff have done of filling and working around them has been highly impressive. The actual on-field strategy and play-calling has largely been great, and a huge step up from what USC has had in years past. There are certainly nits to be picked there, but for the most part it's hard to deny the tactical prowess Riley has brought to the helm of the team. The Trojans are 6-1, in position to fight for a conference championship and recruiting well -- what more could you ask for in year one?"
Jeff McCulloch: "Definitely, this has to be a 10. When he was hired, the feeling was always that this was going to be a rebuild, and yet Riley always made it clear that he expected to compete for the playoffs right off the bat. Riley has done that. This team is in the running for the Pac-12 championship despite the loss at Utah. Riley has completely changed the vibe of this program and the culture could not be better. He has also completely changed the recruiting landscape quickly for USC, bringing in multiple players who were previously committed to Oklahoma and getting the Trojans on the radar for a number of top prospects. The biggest question, recruiting-wise, for this group was how they are going to recruit the big men in the trenches. Well, flipping four-star OT Elijah Paige from Notre Dame sends a message to the rest of the country that the Trojans can and will be a player in major OL recruiting battles.
"That was certainly not the message Clay Helton was sending the country. The current team is already performing well, but just imagine what the Trojans are going to look like when Riley builds a roster of all players he has recruited instead of inheriting a team from a previous regime. The future is certainly bright for USC fans."
Ryan: "Who asked this question anyway, where there was only one logical answer? ... Ah, yes, I came up with that one. Moving on ..."
Who has been the offensive MVP so far?
Tajwar: "Caleb Williams gets the nod here. It’s just so hard to outmatch the totality of his impact on the football field, both within the bounds of the offense and beyond them. Even despite the few problems that have persisted in his game and the occasional off performance, Williams’ dynamism as a passer and runner has completely changed the way defenses play USC. His ability to make something out of nothing and to extract a big play from practically any snap is game-breaking and unlike anything the Trojans have had under center in years. While he’s been making the big plays that keep the USC offense hot, Williams has masterfully avoided turnovers with just one interception so far. The fact that he’s been as aggressive as he has with the football while taking such good care of it may be the most impressive aspect of his game, and one that reshapes the bounds of what this offense is capable of."
Jeff: "The offensive MVP came down to three players for me. It was between quarterback Caleb Williams, running back Travis Dye and center Brett Neilon. But when it's all said and done, this team would not be in the position it is without Caleb Williams and that’s why he is my offensive MVP so far as well. I knew he was impressive coming in after what he showed as a freshman at Oklahoma, but he is so much better than expected. The way he can scramble away from certain sacks with such regularity is something I haven’t seen before. Not only is his arm strength impressive but his accuracy on the run is something out of this world. He actually seems more comfortable throwing on the run. This is a player who is firmly in the running for the Heisman not only this year but is probably the favorite to win it next year. He is a special talent who is only going to get better."
Ryan: "Oops, I did it again. ... I'd love to make the case for Travis Dye here and certainly a case can be made -- he's among the Pac-12 leaders in rushing yards per game (92.4), is the best blocking running back I have seen in a while and exudes confident leadership in general -- but we're going to be unanimous here again as I also have to pick Caleb Williams. I'll try not to belabor the points already made, but regardless of where he finishes in the voting, there is no question he looks like a Heisman Trophy candidate is supposed to look, he looks like a top first-round NFL draft pick and he has as much raw talent as any college quarterback I can recall. I'm trying to avoid hyperbole, but I don't think I could even give any praise that seems over the top when it comes to Williams. He hasn't been perfect, he's probably not yet the best version of the player he will eventually be, but the Trojans' 2022 ceiling is so high because of Williams' own limitless potential."
