USC’s Caleb Williams eyes pulling off ‘crazy’ CFP run despite daunting odds, claims it's 'realistic'

Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) are eyeing something that hasn't been achieved before. Coach Lincoln Riley and his team are hellbent on making it to the College Football Playoff, but there's just one catch for the Trojans in this ambitious journey.

No other team in history has made it to a CFP game with two losses. USC has lost to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Utah Utes this season. But Williams, the school's star quarterback and defending Heisman Trophy winner, is not giving up without a fight.

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Caleb Williams isn't going down without a fight

Caleb Williams isn't letting the daunting odds and a few losses deter his belief in a "crazy" College Football Playoff run.

"It's a realistic goal," Williams said. "We have two losses. We have two losses to ranked teams. We have one loss in conference. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

Williams remains optimistic even though USC is currently at No. 20 in the initial CFP rankings and the historical record that no two-loss team has ever made it to the playoffs. After the 34-32 loss against the Utah Utes (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12), Caleb Williams remembers a conversation with USC coach Lincoln Riley.

"After the Utah game, I was lying on my couch and Coach Riley called me," Williams said. "It was a weird feeling. You still have that feeling inside that you can do something special.

"He said to me, 'You've had a weird/special career. We've done some crazy stuff together. Our time together has been absolutely crazy. We've had so much crazy stuff, why not add to the list and do something crazy?'"

This ambitious mindset seems to be driving USC's efforts to bounce back stronger. The Trojans have been focusing on stacking weeks and practices. Caleb Williams believes that the school's breakthrough is imminent.

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Lincoln Riley wants his defense to gain confidence

USC coach Lincoln Riley is focused on boosting the confidence of his defense. He's pinpointed moments like creating turnovers but then squandering the opportunity on the very next play. Riley believes that the defense needs to bounce back from such situations.

"We went four-and-out and stopped them just like that," Riley said. "That is what gives you confidence. When we do it, the results are really, really good."

The coach recognizes that USC’s offense has also played a part in the team's defense being subpar. Lincoln Riley said:

"It's bad offense that puts the defense in terrible positions, and we've had too much of that over the last few weeks as well. It all goes together. We quit making those mental mistakes, and the team is going to be in a better position. It all feeds off one another."

Mental mistakes, in particular, have played a significant role in USC's struggles. Riley believes that addressing these issues, eliminating mental errors and improving offensive play are all interconnected.