USC football remains a top-20 team in the new US LBM Coaches Poll, presented by USA TODAY Sports. The Trojans moved up one spot from No. 18 to No. 17 in the Week 5 poll. USC passed the Iowa Hawkeyes, who lost in a blowout at home to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Indiana at No. 5 and Ohio State at No. 6 are the top two Big Ten teams in the Week 5 US LBM Coaches Poll. No other Big Ten teams are in the top 10 due to the flood of losses by prominent teams in the conference. Oregon, at No. 13 in the poll, is the only other Big Ten team in the top 15 of the poll, with USC and Iowa just outside the top 15. Bob Chesney's UCLA Bruins, at No. 22, are the only other Big Ten team anywhere in the poll.
The Big Ten has endured a lot of bad losses so far this season.
Penn State already has two losses, as does Michigan. The Nittany Lions have lost at home to Wisconsin while Michigan just did lose to Minnesota. Illinois lost at home to Purdue. A number of Big Ten teams with losses are going to play each other in the coming weeks. USC visits Penn State next weekend, a prime example of that reality. Oregon and Ohio State, both with losses, will play each other later this season. The Big Ten picture is muddled and will get even more confusing as we go along. The conference just isn't as strong and doesn't have as many dominant teams as it had last season, when Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon were all top-five seeds in the College Football Playoff, with Indiana winning it all and Oregon making the semifinals.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC rises in US LBM Coaches Poll despite poor display vs Washington
