USC football made an upward move in the new US LBM Coaches Poll, presented by USA TODAY Sports. The Trojans were No. 17 in the previous week's poll. They are now No. 15 after their 31-23 win at Penn State.
USC looked a lot better against Penn State than it did against Washington the week before. Whereas the Washington win felt a lot like winning only because the opponent was worse, the Penn State game felt like a victory earned because USC was genuinely better. Jayden Maiava was superb. The offensive line gave him quality pass protection. Trent Mosley's return sparked the passing game and freed up a lot of the field for multiple other receivers to make plays. The depth of USC's receiver room was apparent with Mosley back on the field.
The defense
was by no means good, but it wasn't terrible, and sometimes merely not being terrible can win a game. The Trojans did their job in the red zone, forcing multiple Penn State field goals which turned out to be the difference in the contest.
Notably, the UCLA Bruins, after beating Oregon on the road, moved up to No. 12 in the poll. The Bruins have a real chance to make the College Football Playoff. Will their season-ending game against USC have playoff stakes? Will USC still be alive in the playoff hunt by then? We will find out in the coming weeks.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: UCLA rises to No. 12, moves past USC in US LBM Coaches Poll
