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USC finds themselves in a great starting point for the upcoming season. The college football AP Top 25 pre-season poll was revealed Monday morning and when the Trojans take the field on September 2 they will be ranked as the 4th best team in the nation.
This will be the highest pre-season ranking USC received since 2012 when the Trojans came into the season ranked No. 1. I don’t think we need a reminder on how that season played out.
Last season the Trojans finished 3rd in the AP Poll behind Alabama and Clemson, whom participated in the National Championship game. USC started off 1-3 before going on a nine game winning streak and defeating Penn State in a wild Rose Bowl Game to finish at 10-3.
Outside of USC, the Pac-12 has three teams ranked in the polls with Washington being the next highest at No. 8, then Stanford at No. 14 and Washington State making its appearance at No. 24. The Trojans will face No. 14 Stanford on September 9th and No. 24 Washington State on Friday, September 29th. USC’s September 16th Opponent Texas comes in the polls at No. 23, giving the Trojans three teams in the AP top 25 on their schedule. Ironically they face those teams in a one month span.
Alabama was voted as the No. 1 team. They will open the season in Atlanta, Georgia against the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles. Ohio State comes in at No. 2 while USC’s opponent in last season’s Rose Bowl Game, Penn State, comes in at No. 6. Rounding out the Top 10 is defending Big 12 Champion Oklahoma at No. 7, Wisconsin at No. 9 and Oklahoma State at No. 10.