Over the past decade, the game of college football has slowly evolved with the creation of the four-team playoff, lucrative TV contracts, a less-restrictive transfer portal and NIL for student-athletes. This offseason, the game changed immediately when the USC Trojans announced Lincoln Riley would be the new face of their football program. The signing of one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport thrust the college football landscape into chaos, causing a massive domino effect of player and coach movement that makes handicapping this season more exciting than ever.
USC’s disappointing 4-8 season warranted significant changes. Riley delivered immediately by leveraging the transfer portal to bring top-end offensive talent to Southern California in one of the most dramatic roster overhauls in the country. Heisman candidate and former Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams leads the newest version of Riley’s high-octane offense that is loaded with plenty of playmakers, including last year’s Biletnikoff winner, WR Jordan Addison. Very few programs can match the offensive talent Riley has assembled, but the only remaining question is how quickly USC can play as a cohesive unit in a new system. All five starters at USC’s skill positions are transfers.
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QB Caleb Williams (Oklahoma)
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RB Travis Dye (Oregon)
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WR Jordan Addison (Pitt)
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WR Mario Williams (Oklahoma)
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WR Brenden Rice (Colorado)
Big headlines bring big expectations
We live in a world of instant gratification, and Riley’s recruiting power propelling an uber-fast revamp of the roster has soared expectations in his first year. The Trojans went from a team that finished the season by dropping six of its last seven games to BetMGM’s second-highest liability to win the national championship. They are currently 20-1 to win the national title despite Riley having an 0-3 career record in the College Football Playoff. I have little doubt that the Trojans will quickly become a national powerhouse under Riley, but odds seem significantly inflated for his first year. And here is the best way to profit off them this season.
USC Win Total 9.5 — Under (+100)
Despite the roster strength, there are still several questions heading into the season, especially on defense. The most frustrating part of Riley’s tenure at Oklahoma was that he could never build a dominating, physical…