LOS ANGELES, CA — It’s no secret that for the last couple of weeks, the USC Trojans’ defensive line has been the up-and-coming saving grace for Southern California’s recent success. With their previous two opponents only mustering up a combined six points in the last two second halves, it could lead to a recipe for success for the Trojans as they could enter serious conversations for a College Football Playoff spot.
With the No. 17 ranked Trojans, according to the latest College Football Playoff Selection Committee, entering their most crucial stretch of games this season, Head Coach Lincoln Riley and the rest of the Trojans know just how meaningful their next matchup is against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
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“Having an understanding and realization that this is a cool position you put yourself in, you don’t want to miss it,” Riley said after Tuesday’s practice. “You don’t want to do anything that would keep you from putting your best foot forward because they’re hard to get to.”
Coach Lincoln is right, it is hard to put yourself in a position to even be considered for the College Football Playoffs. The last time the Trojans even sniffed the College Football Playoffs was back in 2022.
Still, players and staff alike recognize the importance of the final home stretch of the season, even former NFL coaches like defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who compared this upcoming stretch to crucial games played in the NFL.
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“It’s like the NFL at this point,” Lynn said after Wednesday’s practice. “Every single game is either going to keep you in or knock you out, so this time of the year, you work all offseason, so at this time of the year, every game is meaningful.”
The bar for importance has been set.
When you look at how the Trojans could fare against the No. 21 ranked Hawkeyes, this game starts looking like there could be a neck-and-neck showdown at the Coliseum this Saturday. The Hawkeyes are a run-heavy offense and do not like to throw the ball, but on the flipside, they have a consistent special teams personnel and cover the long pass game well, a feature that the Trojans have tapped into this campaign.
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The Trojans’ linebackers in question are the most excited to get out on the field to play the Hawkeyes, as expressed by sophomore Desman Stephens, who said this game is a linebacker’s dream opponent. But with that excitement and importance looming in the wake, Stephens also expressed that even with the importance of their upcoming game, his teammates go into every game with the same mindset and do not pick and choose which games are more important than others.
