As it was, USC had a whole lot of talent.
It might not have had the high level that Alabama and Ohio State and Georgia could boast, and Oregon probably had the best starting 22 in the Pac-12, but the guys were in place no matter who was going to take over as the head coach.
And then came Lincoln Riley, combined with the new and more relaxed rules of the transfer portal, and the explosion of NIL and all the opportunities that came with that, and kaboom.
