The 2022 college football season was almost a dream for USC. Led by a flashy new coach in Lincoln Riley – who brought his star quarterback Caleb Williams with him – the Trojans finished with an 8-1 record in the Pac-12. Williams cemented himself as the best player in the nation throughout his Heisman-winning campaign, and there was an electricity surrounding the Coliseum that hadn’t been felt in a generation. 

But the dream came to a sudden halt in the Pac-12 Championship Game, as the Trojans lost to Utah for the second time in 2022. Giving away a 15-point fourth quarter lead to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl only rubbed salt in the wounds, and the Achilles heel of this team became evident, as their defense ended the year one of the worst in the nation.

So today, ahead of their season opener this weekend, ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti tells us how Williams has been prepping for the new season, what USC has done to address their glaring holes on the opposite side of the ball…and if it’s enough to get them to the College Football Playoff for the first time.

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