2023 USC Trojans Football Predictions and Betting Odds
2022 Record: 11-3 overall, 8-1 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley, 2nd year: 11-3, 7th year overall: 66-13
All things considered, what Lincoln Riley has done at USC is come up with one of the best head coaching starts in the history of college football. It’s easy to forget that Riley is still so young -- he’s going to turn 40 just as the season starts -- and yet he already has five double-digit win seasons in his first six -- and it would’ve been 6-for-6 if not for 2020’s 9-2 campaign.
He has four Big 12 Championships, three College Football Playoff appearances, and there was an outside chance he could’ve had a fifth conference title and another CFP trip if his Heisman-winning superstar quarterback didn’t have to play on one leg in last year’s Pac-12 Championship. All that's missing are the National Championships.
Doc’s Sports offers college football expert picks for every game on our college football predictions page.
Trojans Offensive Outlook for 2023
Caleb Williams stepped into the Oklahoma offense in the middle of the Texas game two years ago, and that was it. He’s been brilliant ever since, with a fascinating mixture of athleticism, smarts, cockiness, drive, and ultra-efficient passing that could make him Riley’s best quarterback ever. Now the almost certain No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft must stay healthy after throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns and five picks with 10 rushing touchdowns. Star recruit Malachi Nelson and sophomore Miller Moss will battle it out for the No. 2 gig.
Yeah, there’s a chance the USC receiving corps could be even better despite losing Jordan Addison to the Minnesota Vikings. Kyle Ford transferred to UCLA, but four of the top six wideouts are back to go along Arizona transfer Dorian Singer -- he isn’t Addison talent-wise, but he’s not terribly far off. Veterans Tahj Washington, Mario Williams, Brendan Rice, and Michael Jackson III are still in place, and terrific prospect Duce Robinson is in the tight end mix with Lake McRee.
Trojans Defensive Outlook for 2023
Welcome to the transfer portal. The defensive front isn’t totally starting over, but for all intents and purposes, it is. The overall production could change instantly if the tackle combination of Kyon Barrs (Arizona), Jack Sullivan (Purdue) and Bear Alexander (Georgia) does what it’s supposed to.
Barrs and Sullivan would’ve been the best players on their respective lines, and now they’re Trojans. The ends aren’t quite as good, but the scheme - and the work done by the terrific new tackles - should get Jamil Muhammad (Georgia State), Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M), and Solomon Tuliaupupu into the backfield.
The line should be better, but the biggest overall production improvement should come from the linebacking corps. Shane Lee was second on the team with 78 stops, Eric Gentry was third with 71, and coming in to eat up everything is Oklahoma State’s Mason Cobb. Flip a coin between Barrs and Cobb for who’s going to be the guy who takes over and becomes the new star of the Trojan D.
Outside of Arizona CB Christian Roland-Wallace, the USC secondary is mostly full of in-house talent from last year. S Max Williams led the team with 79 stops, and the combination of Bryson Shaw and Calen Bullock will be among the best in the Pac-12.
The corners are hardly a concern, but Roland-Wallace must be the terrific four-year playmaker he was for the Wildcats, Tre’Quon Fegans (Alabama) is a big-time talent, and there are a ton of young corners on the other side, led by sophomore Ceyair Wright.
USC Trojans Season Prediction, Win Total, Best Bets
Here’s the problem with trying to project the 2023 USC football season. The defense will be far better, the coaching will be better, and the offensive line should be better. The schedule is far tougher -- even with no Oregon State or Washington State on the slate -- but it’s nothing an elite team can’t navigate through on the way to 11-1 and in range of the College Football Playoff. Williams has to stay healthy.
It’s USC, and it’s a Lincoln Riley-coached team, so the quarterback talent is in place, but you don’t go through a slate like this without a Heisman-caliber superstar under center. Get ready for USC to be ranked in the top three in early October, and maybe even No. 1 if Georgia and Ohio State biff.
Arizona State might be slightly dangerous on the road, and that begins a run of three road games in four weeks, but it’s coming off a two-week break. It’s going to take a monumental upset/total gag/Williams injury to not be 6-0. The trip to Notre Dame comes at the end of that run of road dates. However, there aren’t two home games in a row after September 9. And while Utah, Washington, and UCLA are all in LA, they’re not exactly layups. Going to Cal will be triple-scary considering the Bears are better this season, it’s a late October dog days game, and it’s a sandwich between Utah and Washington… going to Oregon is a big, big problem.
Assume one loss, and it’s going to take something special to not drop two, but there’s too much talent to lose three. Again, as long as No. 13 is okay, and there aren’t a slew of injuries across the board, USC is good enough to keep on rolling.
2023 CFN Preseason Prediction: 11-1
2022 Record: 11-3
Aug 26 San Jose State W
Sept 2 Nevada W
Sept 9 Stanford W
Sept 16 OPEN DATE
Sept 23 at Arizona State W
Sept 30 at Colorado W
Oct 7 Arizona W
Oct 14 at Notre Dame W
Oct 21 Utah W
Oct 28 at Cal W
Nov 4 Washington W
Nov 11 at Oregon L
Nov 18 UCLA W
Nov 25 OPEN DATE
Best Bets
Over 10 wins +100
To win PAC-12 Championship Game +190
To make the Playoffs +250
To win the National Championship +1600
Caleb Williams to win the Heisman +550
Get college football picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.
Most Recent College Football Handicapping
- 2024 College Football National Championship Futures Odds with Expert Betting Predictions
- 2024-25 Heisman Trophy Predictions with Betting Odds
- College Football Totals Picks Bowl Games: Over or Under Predictions for This Week
- College Bowl Game Free Picks for Games from Dec. 29-Jan. 1
- College Football Free Picks: Weekly Mid-Major Report and Predictions for Armed Forces Bowl featuring James Madison vs. Air Force
- College Football Totals Picks Bowl Games: Over or Under Predictions for This Week
- College Bowl Game Free Picks for Games from Dec. 19-Dec 26
- Expert Bowl Game Handicapping: Geographical Advantages
- Expert Bowl Game Handicapping: Player and Coaching Uncertainty
- Bowl Game Schedule - College Football Bowl Schedules for 2023-24