USC’s practice schedule conflicts with the weekly College Football Playoff rankings reveal every Tuesday late in the season. So the Trojans were on the field stretching when the biggest surprise of the week was revealed. Two hours later, the players and coaches still hadn’t been told the news by the time they walked off the practice field: The playoff selection committee jumped USC up six spots, from No. 17 to No. 11.
"Oh for real? Dang, for real?” running back Ronald Jones II said when he was told the news.
He sounded surprised.