The anticipation for the 2024 college football season is intensifying and analysts make predictions on who might claim the National Championship. Among the many noises, Joel Klatt made his prediction about USC’s chances in the playoffs on a YouTube podcast with Colin Cowherd. Before that, he made another bold prediction about the Colorado Buffaloes’ performance under head coach Deion Sanders. He suggested that Colorado would have a significant impact in the upcoming 2024 season, which is widely believed to turn out true. 

On the other hand, Paul Finebaum’s prediction regarding the Texas Longhorns’ transition to the SEC was also not forgettable. Presently, he has his expectations set for USC’s performance in 2024, which was totally opposite to Klatt’s prediction. Take a look at what they predict about USC in the season of college football.

Joel Klatt thinks that D’Anton Lynn is the solution to USC’s defensive problems  

When Colin asked, “You can say what you want about Lincoln Riley,” Klatt said, “Lincoln Riley will not take a step back offensively, so the question for me is more about the defensive side they were abysmal last year “.  In 2023, USC didn’t hire a linebacker or any highly-rated defensive prospects, which costed them. As per Klatt’s prediction regarding Big 10, USC is ranked 6th heading into the season under Lincoln Riley. Along with that, Klatt stated, ” A terrible defense now, D’Anton Lynn comes over from UCLA and by all accounts, I think that this is a great hire“. From 2014 to 2022, Lynn worked with several NFL franchises and the Bruins ranked eighth nationally, allowing just 4.55 yards per play, under the defensive coordinator. Additionally, Riley emphasized Lynn’s NFL experience and their shared beliefs about playing great defenses. Riley said to media during Big 10 “He obviously authored the biggest turnaround in defensive college football last year, and I got a front-row seat at it,” praising Lynn’s performance. It seems like this season, the Riley-Lynn duo will push USC to the playoffs.

Conversely, on July 16th on SEC Network, Paul Finebaum said, “I thought last year was one of the worst coaching jobs I’ve ever seen. I would’ve fired Lincoln Riley,“, describing the defensive plan of Riley. Additionally, Paul stated, “Okay, maybe he does well, maybe he doesn’t, but the answer is moving forward. And I believe the answer after this season is Deion Sanders,” suggesting a replacement for Lincoln. However, as per the performance of Lincoln in 2021, Paul agreed on the fact that he was perfect for the Trojans. Now, moving on to 2022 and 2023 under Lincon, USC has had a rough season. So, Finebaum thinks that Sanders’ image and presence would be perfect for the Trojans. Consequently, it is still unknown whether opting for Lynn will prove advantageous for the Trojans; only time will reveal the answer.

In that scenario, it is very clear that if Lincoln’s defensive plan (hiring D’Anton Lynn) works for the Trojans; they have to face other powerhouses during the playoff. Let’s have a look at who could be those powerhouses.

Teams that could go up against USC for the Big 10

“I firmly believe at this point, things are definitely going to change, but some combination of Ohio and Georgia 1 and 2 to begin the year and some combination of Oregon and Texas 3 and 4,” Klatt stated, predicting the dominant teams could be in the 2024 championship. There is a proper reason behind this prediction, as Ohio HC, Ryan Day, is known for his strategic play-calling as well as his ability to develop quarterbacks. Moving to Texas, you can see they have Steve Sarkisian, recognized for his ability to lead challenging offenses. Therefore, these teams can rely on skilled coaches to challenge USC. 

Besides this, since 1926, USC and Notre Dame have faced off almost every year. However, this year Lincoln prioritizes USC’s national championship aspirations over the traditional rivalry. In an exclusive interview with Adam Breneman, Lynn said, “Change fast and felt like the guys got better each day“, replying to how’re the first six months at USC. Hence, it’s expected that under Lynn’s leadership, the Trojans will earn a place in the playoffs.