How can USC football get back into the College Football Playoff mix?

USC football suffered its second loss of the 2024 season against unranked Minnesota 24-17 on the road Saturday night. The Trojans were ranked No. 11 heading into the game and now find themselves outside of the latest AP Top 25 rankings. As the 2024 reaches its midway point, how can USC get back into the College Football Playoff mix with two losses?

The Trojans were 8.5-point favorites against a Golden Gophers team that already suffered three losses in the first five games of the season. Huntington Bank Stadium was rocking, as it saw its Golden Gophers pull off one of the more surprising upsets in a wild week 6 and its first win against USC since 1955.

USC struggled immensely in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Trojans gave up nearly 200 yards on the ground, mostly to Minnesota rusher Darius Taylor (144 yards, 5.8 per carry) and three rushing touchdowns to quarterback Max Brosmer. Brosmer's third and final rushing touchdown came with 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter which ended up being the game-winning score.

Defensively, the Golden Gophers consistently pressured USC quarterback Miller Moss, who went 23 of 38 for just 200 yards and two interceptions. Lincoln Riley's offense has been inconsistent throughout the season, but Minnesota's elite pass defense was on full display in the matchup.

The Trojans' glaring lack of protection for Moss and its inability to stop the run is quite evident. USC's first loss of the season came against Michigan, in which the Trojans gave up 290 rushing yards, and Moss was sacked four times in the loss at Ann Arbor. Lincoln Riley's team is consistently being bullied at the line of scrimmage, as his team now finds itself having suffered a huge drop from the eleventh spot in the rankings to out of the polls.

The Trojans' defensive improvement is slightly evident (allowing 18.4 points per game compared to 34.3 in 2023), but its struggles at the line of scrimmage and Riley's struggling passing attack need to be addressed.

Former USC and Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams's ability to make plays with his legs and garner big plays sort of "hid" the fact that the Trojans offensive line was subpar. Moss isn't the playmaker that Williams was, and as a result, the performance of USC's pass protection is much more evident.

However, the Trojans have an opportunity to turn the ship around as it welcomes No. 4 Penn State next weekend. The Nittany Lions currently possess the fourth-ranked defense in the country along with former five-star quarterback Drew Allar. Allar, who ranks fifth in passing efficiency (187.56), is having a strong start to the season. The Ohio native has tossed for 1,101 yards and 9 touchdowns along with only one interception.

Granted, the Nittany Lions beat No. 23 Illinois last weekend, but this matchup will be an even tougher test for Allar in a hostile environment at the Coliseum. The Trojans are desperate and it knows that if it loses next weekend, its record will fall to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

After a visit from Penn State, Riley's team will travel to take on Maryland (3-2) and then games against Rutgers, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, and then against No. 11 Notre Dame.

All in all, the matchup against Penn State will be the game of the season for the Trojans. If it wins, then USC may find itself back in the Top 25 and can maybe run the table in hopes of contending for a spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

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