ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit this week said USC will win the Pacific-12 Conference South Division.
If the Trojans defeat Colorado on Friday night, as expected, they are poised to jump back into the top 25 polls.
This momentum is probably due to USC’s ability to command attention no matter the circumstances. The Trojans (6-3, 4-2) lost their coach last month, quarterback Cody Kessler is no longer listed by oddsmakers handicapping the Heisman Trophy race and playmaker Adoree Jackson admits his season has not gone as expected.
But the Trojans are still picked by the nation’s best-known college football analyst to win the division even though South rivals Utah (8-1, 5-1) and UCLA (7-2, 4-2) are ranked in the top 25 polls.