With college football season on the horizon, ESPN Chalk's college football experts -- Phil Steele, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris Fallica -- combine to give you betting previews of the top 25 teams, according to the ESPN College Football Rankings. They break down each team's strengths and weaknesses, along with season win total bets and national title odds.
Odds from Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as of Aug. 22.
USC Trojans
National title odds: 30-1 (opened at 60-1)
Season win total: 7.5
FPI win total projection: 8.5
Phil Steele
Strengths: USC is very deep at running back, receiver, offensive line, linebacker and defensive back. The Trojans rank in my top eight in four of those units, with the offensive line looking like the best in the country.
Weaknesses: While the quarterbacks are inexperienced,
Over/under: The Trojans play the toughest schedule in the country this year, with Notre Dame and Alabama both on the nonconference slate. They also draw the top three teams out of the Pac-12 North in Washington, Stanford and Oregon. I have them at eight wins, provided the schedule does not beat them up too bad.
National title: Somebody believes in the Trojans, as they opened up at 60-1 and have been played down to 30-1. They face the toughest schedule in the country, and I do not think any team could navigate this slate with one loss or none.
"Stanford Steve" Coughlin
We all know the issues USC has had with head-coaching choices in recent years, and we don't have to bring up the names. What we do have to point out is that the Trojans have just one 10-win season over the troubled past four years. The Men of Troy didn't fight their best battles after Clay Helton had the interim tag removed last November, either. They were embarrassed in the Pac-12 title game by Stanford, then lost to a less talented Wisconsin team.
Helton has named his starting QB, Max Browne, a former five-star recruit who previously sat behind Cody Kessler. You have to think Browne's best friend will be JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught 89 passes and 10 TDs last year, but failed to reach the 100-yard mark in his final five games. The other issue Helton has is on the defensive side of the ball, where he must overhaul a front seven that is sure to get tested vs. the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Arlington, Texas, on Week 1.
That said, I do see eight wins on the Trojans' roster, so take the over. I see USC having to win two of its tough final four games (vs. Oregon, at Washington, at UCLA, vs. Notre Dame) to get eight wins on the year, but to get that done.
Chris Fallica
O/U: The Trojans' schedule is the hardest in the country. If they are 2-2 at the end of September, that would likely be deemed a success. The middle of the schedule softens up some, but that final four-game stretch of Oregon, at Washington, at UCLA and Notre Dame is absolutely brutal. 8-4 would be a really good record, yet it would probably be seen as a disappointment. I'd lean under here.
CFB Playoff odds: I can't see it at all. I don't think the Trojans will beat Alabama, and I don't think they will be better than 7-2 in the Pac-12. Talented team, but the schedule just won't allow a title run.