It seemed, at first, like a strange fit. A West Coast power, known for its flash, paired with a conference known for its bulk and corn-fed brawn. Two years of patronizing tones from the rest of the Big Ten Conference suggested as much about USC, which, until this fall, hadn’t offered much reason to believe it belonged in such a weight class.
But as the mightiest the Big Ten had to offer were beaten up Saturday, USC didn’t just look the part of a conference heavyweight in a 48-0 beatdown of Utah State. It bullied its way to the forefront of the College Football Playoff conversation before its Big Ten slate had even begun.