If not now, when? That is the question facing USC football and Lincoln Riley in 2026. Fans rightly demand a College Football Playoff berth. The expectations should rise if CBS Sports’ recent preseason evaluations are to be taken seriously. College Sports Wire has more:
“Now, with the transfer portal so prevalent, it’s harder than ever for coaches to keep these talented backup players when they could be earning a lot of NIL money and starting elsewhere. Still, there are certain places around the nation where the concept of depth still holds true. These are the ‘complete’ rosters that feature both talent at the top and talent in the reserves, capable of playing deep into the winter with the ability to weather injury woes.
“Over the weekend, CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford ranked the most complete rosters in the nation going into the 2026 season, and unsurprisingly, a vast majority of them belong to the SEC and Big Ten.”
Crawford listed USC as having the No. 7 most complete roster in the country. On offense, he might be right. It’s on defense where the Trojans really have to prove they belong among the nation’s best. Lincoln Riley hasn’t shied away from the expectations, saying USC’s championship window is now open.
Riley, the pundits, and USC fans can all agree on this much: It’s time to deliver. No more excuses, no more failures.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Experts think USC has a complete roster — Trojans must now prove it
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
