RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
This isn’t your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it’s my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
- Who do I think is good?
- Why do I think they’re good?
- What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here’s a take a look at the place USC lands in my Final 136.
USC rating: 26
Final yr’s rating: 17
High participant: WR Makai Lemon: Recorded 764 receiving yards together with 514 kick return yards, rating tenth amongst all Large Ten gamers in all-purpose yards (1,278); his eight receptions of 30-plus yards ranked fifth within the Large Ten.
[USC’s 2025 schedule]
RJ’s take: Lincoln Riley returns Jayden Maiava, who threw for 1,201 yards, 11 TDs and 6 INTs in 4 video games final season. He bombarded Notre Dame for 360 passing yards and led a comeback win towards Texas A&M within the Las Vegas Bowl.
USC’s 4-5 begin final yr might’ve simply been a 9-0 begin if simply half-a-dozen performs went the opposite means. The Trojans might’ve been the crew we talked about like we did Indiana, who made the CFP earlier than USC did. And that, like every part you add to the Web, actually is eternally.
This season, the Trojans will not need to play towards Ohio State, Penn State or the aforementioned Hoosiers. They go to Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska and Oregon for Large Ten video games, so the journey throughout two time zones may cost them one or two video games.
[Check out RJ Young’s Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]
USC Win Whole Odds: Over 7.5 (-158) Below 7.5 (+128)
Have a problem with my rankings? Assume your alma mater is simply too low, or your faculty’s rival is simply too excessive? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I am going to choose my favourite tweets and reply to them in a future article.
RJ Younger is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities. Observe him at @RJ_Young.
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