The No. 17 USC Trojans have their sights set on making the College Football Playoff this season for the first time under coach Lincoln Riley. The Trojans curren

USC was hoping to achieve the same level of luck and success it had previously experienced. In Year 1, Riley led the team to an 11-3 record and took USC to the Pac-12 Championship Game, although the Trojans lost to the Utah Utes for the second time that season. Things have worsened each year since then.

Behind an ever-changing rotation of linemen built on riddles, barbecues and trust, the Trojans have compiled the second-best offense in college football.

With just three games left for the No. 17 USC Trojans regular season, the next three weekends bring high stakes that could shape their postseason. Starting Sat

USC faces a tricky path to the CFP even if it wins out, largely because of its October loss at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are currently in the field, and if both teams finish undefeated, that head-to-head defeat could create a dilemma for the selection committee, potentially leaving the Trojans on the outside despite a strong finish.

“There’s a school on the West Coast right now that’s going to re-commit to defense,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said a month later. “You give up [46] to Tulane last year in a bowl game — at a place where Ronnie Lott played. Now they’re going to think about defense. That was the first thing we thought about 25 years ago.”

The USC Trojans have a handful of talented freshmen on their roster that could take the world by storm in a couple years. Players like wide receiver Tanook Hines and safety Alex Graham give the Trojans a lot of hope for the future of the program.

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The private university, long known for its wealth, has eliminated nearly 1,000 positions and introduced an array of other cuts to close a deficit of more than $200 million.