USC played its way into the Pac-12 championship by winning week in and week out.

As the Pac-12 North imploded over the weekend and Washington was forced to cancel its game with Oregon due to COVID-19 protocols, USC defeated UCLA 43-38 in order to secure an undefeated season and a berth to the conference championship. The Trojans are the only undefeated team in the Pac-12 and are favored to win the conference.  

Despite their record, the Trojans have been far from perfect. In its season opener against Arizona State, USC mounted a 13-point comeback in the final minutes, winning 28-27. Their next game against Arizona, the Trojans again launched a comeback against the Wildcats, as running back Vavae Malepeai powered his way to the endzone with 25 seconds remaining, winning 34-30. Although undefeated, USC’s path to the championship has been shaky at best. 

By the middle of the season, the Trojans were taking care of business, earning comfortable wins over Washington State and Utah. 

After Oregon lost two games in a row, USC is now ranked 13th in the AP poll as Colorado slots in at No. 25. In a year in which the Pac-12 struggled to gain respect from the college football media landscape, USC is the lone program in the conference that has lived up to their billing. 

Much of USC’s success stems from quarterback Kedon Slovis, who leads the conference in passing yards. Beyond his individual statistics, which include 1,600 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, Slovis led the Trojans to multiple comebacks. In the Arizona State game, Slovis threw a touchdown to Drake London through a tight window for the game-winning touchdown. Against UCLA, Slovis threw for five touchdowns.

As a team, USC posted respectable numbers on both offense and defense. The Trojans surrender 25 points a game, which is second best in the conference. Safety Talanoa Hufanga is fourth in the conference in tackles with 50 on the season.  

Offensively, USC averages 440 yards per game, which is fourth in the Pac-12. Wide receivers London and Amon-Ra St. Brown are second and third in the conference respectively in receiving yards. The Trojans have the most talented passing attack in the Pac-12.  

In the race for the Pac-12 South, USC faced both competition and controversy with Colorado. The USC-Colorado game was canceled due to COVID-19. Colorado was also undefeated at the time, creating a potential scenario in which an undefeated Colorado would miss the championship because they played four games compared to USC’s five. This scenario was avoided when the Buffs lost to Utah over the weekend. 

As Oregon and Washington are mired in controversy over who the “true” champion of the north is, USC controlled their destiny by going undefeated. There is no question that the Trojans deserve to play for the title. 

In a season where cancellations and conference politics have wreaked havoc on the Pac-12, USC remained consistent.