Alright, let’s talk USC football for a sec, because even if you’re all about the Huskies or Cougs, college football drama is still college football drama, right? Here’s the scoop: nobody is expecting the Trojans’ 2026 defense to magically become some bonecrushing, nasty unit that just shuts down everyone. And honestly? It doesn’t even have to be spectacular. The bar for these guys in 2026 isn’t set impossibly high, and after what we saw last season, maybe that’s a good thing.
2025 Was a Nightmare, Let’s Be Real
Look, 2025 had some defensive performances that were just *rough*. I mean, truly. We’re talking about three losses , to Illinois, Notre Dame, and Oregon , that were straight-up atrocious defensive showings. Did you see it? Their defensive front got absolutely pushed around. USC looked weak for a majority of those games. There was zero sense that their defense was stable, that they were fundamentally competent, or that they were ever consistently in the right spot to make plays. It was chaos out there!
Remember how Notre Dame just rammed the ball right down USC’s throat? No answer. And while Illinois and Oregon might’ve mixed it up with more run-pass options, they still moved the ball with frustrating ease. USC just kept getting overwhelmed and overrun much more often than not. The cold, hard numbers don’t lie: all three of those teams , Illinois, Notre Dame, and Oregon , scored at least 34 points against them. On top of that, these opponents totally controlled the ball, which seriously minimized USC’s offensive possessions and just dug the hole deeper. Not good, man.
A Small Step, A Huge Difference
Here’s the wild part, the silver lining in all that mess: USC doesn’t need to suddenly transform into some lockdown unit that holds opponents under 20 points and dominates every snap in 2026. That’s not the ask here. What they *do* need is simple, but absolutely crucial for their season goals: hold opponents under 30 points. Seriously, just get it below that threshold! And maybe, just maybe, shave about two minutes off their opponents’ time of possession compared to their 2025 totals. Think about that: under 30 points, two minutes less with the ball for the other guys. That’s the mission!
Because if they hit those seemingly modest goals, that frustrating 9-3 record from 2025 suddenly becomes a much more impressive 10-2 season. And a 10-2 record? That’s exactly what USC needs to make the College Football Playoff. How about that for stakes? Seriously, they don’t need an amazing defense this year, just a unit that’s clearly a few notches better than what we had to watch in 2025. It feels like that’s not asking too much at all, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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