Phil Steele ranks USC's Defensive Line as #2 for 2013

The USC D-line has always had the potential to be special.

Phil Steele puts USC at #2 to start the 2013 campaign...

Ask any coach out there to describe the biggest difference and "defensive line" is bound to be one of the first things that slip out of his mouth. It truly is all about the trenches in the SEC, both defensively and offensively. The offensive lines deserve some love for just putting up with their burly counterparts, but the defensive lines really do get all the attention.

So it should come as no surprise that when Phil Steele ranked his top 15 defensive lines in college football that the SEC was represented by five teams -- the most of any conference.

While none ranked first or second -- that was reserved for Notre Dame (No. 1) and USC (No. 2) -- South Carolina topped the SEC lines at No. 3 on Steele's list. Florida ranked sixth, Ole Miss was 12th, Alabama was 13th and LSU was 14th.

This is all well and good but USC needs to earn this spot in the upcoming season.

The defense in general will be asked to do a lot as the offense adjusts to a new QB and reduced production at WR with some unknowns as the team heads into fall camp.

We find out in around 70 days.

FIGHT ON!