Hernández: USC has become a Big Ten power and should reach the College Football Playoff

Suddenly, the fantasy feels grounded in reality.

Suddenly, the best-case scenario feels entirely possible.

USC can reach the College Football Playoff.

Lets rephrase that.

USC should reach the College Football Playoff.

The No.

13 Trojans path to the 12-team championship tournament opened up on Saturday like one of those gargantuan holes through which running back Woody Marks ran in a 48-0 victory against overmatched Utah State at the Coliseum.

The lopsided win over a visitor from Mountain West Conference wasnt particularly informative.

What happened elsewhere in college football was.

No.

10 Michigan, which USC will visit in two weeks for their Big Ten opener, further amplified concerns about its offense in a 31-12 defeat to No.

3 Texas.

No.

8 Penn State, another Big Ten opponent which USC will host on Oct.

12, had to come from behind to claim a 34-27 win over Bowling Green.

No.

5 Notre Dame, which the USC plays in its regular-season finale, was upset by Northern Illinois, 16-14.

The Red Sea is parting.

The road to the CFP is becoming visible.

So much has changed in two weeks.

Before the start of the season, a pessimistic examination of the schedule could have produced visions of a six-loss season.

The Trojans erased one of those potential Ls in their season-opening win over Louisana State in Las Vegas.

A week later, the teams that represented their three greatest challenges revealed their vulnerabilities.

Michigan doesnt have a quarterback.

Penn State doesnt have a defense.

Notre Dame just stinks.

The Trojans didnt prove anything by crushing a four-touchdown underdog, but they didnt sound any alarm bells either and that counts for something.

They didnt win the kind of game they won last year against Colorado or Arizona, the kind of win that offered indications of shortcomings that would ultimately crater their season.

In other words, they didnt do what Martin Jarmond University did last week in its near-embarrassment in Hawaii.

The Trojans did what they were supposed to do against the Aggies.

The defense, which led them to their win over LSU, was once again dominant under first-year coordinator DAnton Lynn.

The shutout was USCs first since a 50-0 blanking of UCLA in 2011.

Its a new staff, coach Lincoln Riley said.

Theres a lot of new players, more new players on that side of the ball than the offensive side of the ball.

Just to see that group come together and play as one early is very important.

Theres just a long ways to go, man, but, shoot, we couldnt be more excited about what theyre doing, they way were playing defensively right now.

If their victory last week was evidence of an improved defense and Miller Moss preparedness to replace Caleb Williams, the triumph over Utah State was a showcase of the Trojans ground attack.

With their starters on the offensive line weighing an average of 320 pounds, the Trojans had no problems running the ball.

They rushed for 249 yards, an average of 6.7 yards per attempt.

Marks, a senior transfer from Mississippi State, rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

Quinten Joyner, a redshirt freshman, was credited with 84 yards and two scores on 10 carries.

The Trojans had a 27-0 lead at halftime.

By the end of the third quarter, backup quarterback Jayden Maiava was in the game.

By the fourth, the Coliseum stands were mostly empty.

Asked about the offenses potential, Moss replied, I dont think we want to get caught up in where we can go.

I think were more focused on the present moment.

Moss pointed to what we left out there in the first half some dropped passes and missed throws.

I think the offensive line played their butts off, Moss said.

I think that kind of showed itself in the balance we had offensively ...

but skill players, myself included, got to clean some stuff up.

But Moss still hasnt turned over the ball.

In fact, USCs only turnover this season came on Saturday when tight end Lake McRee fumbled in the second quarter at the end of a 34-yard reception.

Moss has passed for 979 yards in his first three starts, counting the Holiday Bowl last year.

I dont know how much it says about me, Moss said.

I think Ive been put in really good situations.

Lincoln Riley is the best offensive coach in college football, if not coach, but well leave that up for debate a little bit more.

Riley joked last week that his team played some pretty good Big Ten football, and he was right.

His team has a new identity.

What was once a soft team that was overly reliant on Williams has transformed into the most physical group this program has fielded since Pete Carroll was the coach .

These Trojans wont beat themselves.

These Trojans can win a game in which theyre not their sharpest.

These Trojans should reach the CFP.

The road is clear..

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