At Trojans Wire, our call-in with USC football fans on Friday drew some heated comments. The topic that got everyone (including me) riled up was the following hypothetical question: Would you accept a College Football Playoff berth for USC this year, even if it meant getting absolutely crushed in the first round? If USC got blown out of the building on the big stage of the playoffs, would that still be worth making the playoffs? The response to this hypothetical question was mixed. That surprised me. If something negative is part of something very positive, then my reasoning tells me that the 10 ounces of bad are worth taking with the 20 pounds of good. For some, however, the negative aspects of a crushing playoff loss would overshadow the benefits of making the playoffs.
Here’s something to acknowledge about USC: The Trojans aren’t a heavyweight right now. They want to be, but they’re not. At least not right now. The idea that USC can not only make the playoffs after going 8-5 last season but avoid losing to opponents who are likely better than the Trojans in said playoffs just isn’t reasonable. If USC makes the playoffs this year, it will almost certainly be a clear underdog in game one. The team USC faces would likely be a team that has played at or near a playoff level in recent years. The odds of USC being eliminated in the playoffs this year — should it even get that far — are good. You might say that USC could lose by 14 rather than 30, and sure, that wouldn’t look so bad, but if the difference between losing by 14 and losing by 30 is what really worries us, that’s splitting hairs when compared to the enormous advantage that comes from actually making the playoffs after the awful 2023 season.
No one is saying or implying that it’s acceptable for USC to go down in the playoffs every year. Absolutely not. Championships are the norm. However, USC is not in a position to be a top-four team this year. If making the playoffs and losing by 30 points is a learning experience that toughens the program and puts the coaches and players in a much better position to compete for a title in 2025 and 2026, it’s worth the trade-off.
Here’s our Friday call-in show for the playoffs and more on The Voice of College Football:
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