USC season preview: 2026 defense doesn't need to be spectacular

USC football dominated college football when it had a nasty defense led by a bonecrushing defensive line. No one is saying the Trojans are going to have that in 2026. This is not going to be an elite defense. Here's the thing: It doesn't have to be.

The bar doesn't have to be set that high for USC on defense in 2026. We have to remember that USC's three losses in 2025 were atrocious defensive performances. Illinois, Notre Dame, and Oregon were bad defensive games. In all three contests, USC's defensive front got pushed around. The Trojans looked weak for a majority of those games. There was never a sense that USC's defense was stable, fundamentally competent, and always in the right position to make plays. Notre Dame rammed the ball down USC's throat. Illinois and Oregon had more of a run-pass mix but consistently moved the ball. USC got overwhelmed and overrun much more often than not.

All three teams - Illinois, Notre Dame, and Oregon - scored at least 34 points against USC, but more than that, they controlled the ball and minimized USC possessions. The Trojans don't need to hold opponents under 20 points and dominate in 2026. If they just held opponents under 30 points and shaved maybe two minutes time of possession from 2025 totals, that is probably going to be enough to turn a 9-3 2025 record into the 10-2 record USC needs to make the College Football Playoff.

USC doesn't need an amazing 2026 defense, just a unit which is clearly a few notches better than 2025. That's not asking too much.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC season preview: 2026 defense doesn't need to be spectacular