No. 16 USC Trojans Move Up In AP Poll

The USC Trojans won the bye week, at least in the polls. Despite not playing Saturday, USC moved up three spots to No. 16 in Sunday's updated AP Top 25 poll. Ironically, it was the Trojans' biggest jump in the rankings this season, and it came during a week off.

USC (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) saw no movement in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, remaining at No. 15. The Trojans also climbed two spots to No. 17 in ESPN's updated Football Power Index (FPI) rankings.

USC benefited from a tumultuous weekend in college football, when five teams ranked in the AP Top 10 suffered losses. Those teams included No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas.

As far as USC is concerned, the schedule is shaping up to provide plenty of opportunities for the Trojans to make a statement.

Lincoln Riley's team has five regular-season games remaining, beginning with this weekend's road matchup against Wisconsin in Madison. The stretch also includes major challenges against Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA in three of the Trojans' final four games. USC will host Maryland between its trip to Bloomington and the Crosstown Showdown against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

It's a challenging schedule, but it's also an opportunity for USC to build an impressive résumé, finish with a high-quality record and potentially earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Of course, the Trojans can only control what happens on the field. And despite their 6-1 start, they have yet to secure a marquee victory over a team with a winning record. That remains a legitimate question as USC prepares for the season's most important stretch.

Still, it's difficult to ignore the apparent disconnect between USC's ranking and the treatment of some teams ahead of the Trojans. Alabama is one example. The Crimson Tide remain at No. 13 despite suffering consecutive losses.

Six AP voters left USC out of their Top 25 ballots this week. Three of those voters had the Trojans ranked in the previous week's poll, while another voter who placed USC at No. 13 last week dropped the team completely out of the rankings.

At some point, the voting begins to look less like a careful evaluation of teams and more like a box-score check without much consistency or rationale.

The good news for USC is that the Trojans have the schedule to change the conversation. A strong finish against this difficult slate could send them soaring into the top 10 and strengthen their playoff case considerably.

Ultimately, the AP poll is only a snapshot of where USC stands today. The ranking that will matter most is the one released Tuesday, November 3, when the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season are scheduled to be revealed.