USC Football: 5 reasons why Trojans will stink in 2017

2. The Trojans defense gets little pressure on opponents

It is hard to knock the Trojans defense too much, given the way that they contributed to a nine-game winning streak to close out 2016. But while they shut down almost all of their Pac-12 opponents, the bookend games at either end of last season speak more about where the Trojans are relative to their national aspirations.

Forget what the offense failed to do against Alabama. The Trojans defense was manhandled by the SEC champion Crimson Tide, giving up 242 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. Four months later, against Big Ten champion Penn State, USC once again gave up over 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Good opponents were able to rush on Southern California because the Trojans never were able to get consistently into the backfield. They ranked 68th nationally in sacks and 85th in tackles for loss, a far cry from the dominant units of championship seasons past. Without any consistent pressure, teams were also able to burn the Trojans secondary with regularity.

Teams that contend for national crowns are the ones that can stifle opponents at the line of scrimmage. The Trojans might find that they stink in that regard when push comes to shove against top-tier opponents.