Will USC have better year than Texas and Miami?

The first college football preseason coaches’ poll was released Monday, headlined by two SEC programs and one Big Ten squad.  

In the middle of the pack are three schools with important seasons ahead of them: USC — led by new head coach Lincoln Riley — at No. 15, Miami (Fla.) — with alum Mario Cristobal entering his first season — at No. 17, and Texas at No. 18, led Steve Sarkisian, who is entering his second year after a 5-7 record and seventh-place Big 12 finish in 2021.

On Tuesday’s edition of the “The Herd,” Colin Cowherd outlined what he expects from each program as they look to return to prominence.

“All of these coaches are going to succeed,” Cowherd said. “Now, Texas has two great quarterbacks, but they don’t quite know which one it is. But Sark had to rebuild a mess, Mario is rebuilding a mess, and Lincoln is rebuilding a mess. They’re all very similar. They all have a presence. They’re all good recruiters, and they’re all going to kick butt.”

Will No. 15 USC, No. 17 Miami or No. 18 Texas have the best season?

The first USA Today preseason coaches’ poll was released Monday. Colin Cowherd explains why he believes USC will have a better year than Miami and Texas.

However, for Cowherd, he thinks USC will re-climb the mountaintop quicker than the other two, namely because of two big names that made their way out west.

“USC has four or five advantages here. They’ll be better, faster. If you ask me who the best coach is, Lincoln Riley has never won less than 11 games. In four years, he’s got four losses, and eight have been down to the wire. I think Caleb Williams is the most talented quarterback any of these guys have. USC has a recruiting edge because, unlike Texas and Miami, they don’t have multiple other great programs they’re recruiting against.” 

USC finished 4-8 and fourth in the Pac-12 South last season. It averaged 28.7 points (65th of 130) and 444.3 total yards per game. Defensively, the Trojans gave up 31.8 points (103rd of 130), as well as 410.1 total yards per game.