USC 8-4 could still be really good
Context
The show's USC read is schedule-first. The Trojans' fall includes Oregon, Washington, at Penn State, Ohio State on Halloween, at Indiana, rivalry week against UCLA, and a possible trap at Wisconsin after a bye but before Ohio State.
The point is not to excuse the record in advance. It is to flag that USC's schedule is a real measurement problem: a team good enough to look playoff-caliber on neutral talent could still take four losses if the Big Ten travel and opponent sequence hit wrong.