3 Key Storylines From USC Jumping Into the Top 15 After Beating LSU

With one of the biggest wins in the last decade for USC Football, the Trojans jumped ten spots in the new College Football AP Top 25 Poll on Tuesday. With the 27-20 win over the LSU Tigers, USC climbed past LSU, Tennessee, former rival Arizona, and some others to reach #13 in the nation.

LSU fell to #18, showing that the USC win plays as a major quality win in the eyes of the Associated Press.

Now, can USC ride the momentum and what does this mean for their CFP hopes? Here are the biggest storylines the Trojans are facing after the big win.

1. LSU Was Just a Single Hurdle (That Could Become Much Bigger)

Hold your horses on getting too excited about this poll. We are still far from the first CFP poll coming out, which is really the only poll that matters.

Miller Moss showed us that he could handle the big stage, maybe even better than Caleb Williams did. It is just one game, however, and LSU has lost the past five opening week games.

LSU is a darling of the SEC, and we all know the favoritism the committee shows to that conference, so perhaps they werent' as good as their ranking suggested.

LSU learning from the USC loss could really help USC in the long run though, as wins against teams like Ole Miss, Alabama and Oklahoma (whose strength of schedule makes them a threat to USC) could really benefit the Trojans.

2. Defense Really Does Win Championships

You saw on Sunday night how one man with a different vision can help a team win. Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who came over from UCLA this year, showed that it wasn’t the players who were the problem on defense. It was the coaching.

You wouldn't have known that was the USC defense from the way they were playing if the jerseys didn't give it away on Sunday night. Just the extra muscle and weight put on by the Trojans defenders was telling. They looked like they belonged on the field with a team like LSU.

The first defensive drive stop on the goal line by USC changed momentum early. It shook Brian Kelly, who was probably expecting little resistance from this defense. USC did very well at bending, but not breaking.

3. What it Means to Be This High in the Rankings This Early

Other than a couple years ago when Caleb Williams just put the whole team on his shoulders, USC hasn’t been a real threat to anyone since the 2000s. With USC being #13 in the rankings this early shows that there is some belief in the Trojan Football once again.

The Trojans have plenty of tests still to come, but this was a serious step in the right direction.