Can Caleb Williams-led USC live up to expectations in 2023? Inside the buzz surrounding the upcoming Trojans football season

Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans are going to be in the limelight this season. The program lost in the Pac-12 Championship Game to the Utah Utes last season and missed the College Football Playoffs as a result of the game.

The program has a lot of lofty expectations in year two of head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams at USC. There are a lot of expectations for the program to get going and make the postseason this year.

How will the best quarterback prospect since Trevor Lawrence do in the 2023-24 college football season? Can this team reach the heights that the buzz is placing n them?

Will Caleb Williams lead USC to the College Football Playoffs?

After winning the Heisman Trophy last season, junior quarterback Caleb Williams is ready to have his numbers impact the wins and losses a bit more. He had a monster season in his first season at USC, transferring from the Oklahoma Sooners. Williams finished the year going 333-of-500 (66.6 completion percentage) for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns to five interceptions.

Their Pac-12 schedule seems pretty light as they are facing a lot of teams in the early season that were under .500 in conference play in 2022. Their offense was elite, looking at the stats, as they averaged 41.4 points per game and were able to move the chains on the "money downs" at an elite rate.

However, the defense is where the team needs to focus, as they were a middle-of-the-pack defensive team last year. They allowed 27.9 points on 415.1 yards per game, and Riley's head coaching philosophy is squarely focused on the offensive side of the game.

The defensive issues were addressed in the NCAA Transfer Portal as they were able to get played like cornerback Tre'Quon Fegans from Alabama and defensive tackle Bear Alexander from Georgia. Their defense struggled in the Pac-12 Championship Game against the Utah Utes last season, as they allowed 47 points.

However, with the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs having some question marks with a brand-new starting quarterback, it is difficult to imagine the Trojans not matching up with them. Caleb Williams was hurt during the conference title game; otherwise, they might have been able to make the postseason. It is only a matter of time until they are in the College Football Playoffs this season and competing for a national championship.