5 Reasons USC Should Be Preseason No. 1

College football just ended, but it is never too early to look ahead.

The USC Trojans are poised and ready for a great season. They will be wrapping up some tedious recruiting in the next few weeks.

There is no reason that the Trojans should not be ranked No. 1 coming into the season, and I'm here to tell you why.

USC's sanctions are lifted after what seems an eternity, and they are more than capable of making a push for the national title.

The Return of Matt Barkley

This is one of the most obvious reasons, and it's also one of the biggest ones.

Matt Barkley decided to return to USC for his senior year, declaring that he felt as though he and his teammates had "unfinished business" (via Fox Sports West).

Already one of the most respected Trojans to ever play at USC, Barkley has the backing of the powerful USC alumni, his teammates and coaching staff, and not to mention, the entire student congregation.

On December 22, 2011 Trojans and their fans received their early Christmas present, but we have yet to see how it will work out in the long run.

Barkley could go down as one of the greatest players to play at USC, or he could be that guy who should've went to the league when his stock was high. However, there is no doubt he is one of the best quarterbacks coming into the season and is one of the favorites to win the Heisman.

With three years of experience underneath his belt, Barkley is poised and ready to lead his talented team into battle focused on winning a national title and solidifying Barkley's decision.

Robert Woods/Marquise Lee

You get a two-for-one deal when it comes to this dynamic duo.

Lee, only a freshman this past season, had a fantastic second half of the season and took a lot of the attention away from the Trojans other star receiver.

This coming season the talented duo will be a lot to handle out on the field, to say the least.

With Barkley running the offense and throwing pinpoint passes, there is no reason Woods and Lee do not continue to strive. They are already two of the best receivers to ever play at SC, and are arguably the top two receivers in the nation coming into this season.

Lee should enjoy playing alongside Woods this year because it will likely be his last. When Woods is gone, it will be much easier to double Lee.

However, for now the dynamic duo is still a force to be reckoned with.

Beware all defenses, these receivers are not afraid to torch you ALL GAME LONG.

The Coliseum

To say that students, players, fans, alumni and coaches are excited to finally have the sanctions lifted is an understatement. 

USC is now eligible to compete for national championship after two years. That alone is enough to motivate a squad that feels as though the bans were unfair—especially a team with the talent, recruiting class and coaches capable of taking USC to the national championship.

The Coliseum will be ROCKING—especially the student section. They will be excited to once again be relevant and competing.

Athletic director Pat Haden, is making a lot of positive changes to the legendary structure, and with fans being able to renew their season tickets today, the Coliseum is going to be the place to be come this September.

Return of Key Defensive Players

Although the Trojans did lose a beast of a defensive end in Nick Perry to the NFL draft, they do return a majority of their young, fast and aggressive defensive.

Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard started at linebackers this past season and will be returning redshirt sophomores.

Bailey got Pac-12 defensive freshmen of the year and showed improvement throughout the season, while Hayes is one of the best tacklers on the team.

However, the most significant player the Trojans returned on defense is T.J McDonald.

McDonald could have easily made a great NFL safety at this point in his football career, but like Barkley, he decided to come back for his senior year to bolster the defense. Standing at 6'3", 205 pounds, he is built like the ideal safety and serves as a captain for the team.

With both No. 7's coming back for the Trojans, there is no reason the Trojans shouldn't be favored to win it all right off the bat.

Established Head Coach

At the beginning of last season, Lane Kiffin did not have nearly as much respect as he does now.

He gained the respect of players and fans by finding different ways to motivate his team and maintain a solid recruiting class despite the sanctions and probation. Not only that, but he surely played a role in getting Barkley to stay one more year and putting his players in the positions they will play best in.

This offseason he is facing his biggest task yet, but in reality, the Trojans don't need to bring in much to compete for a national title this year.

Now Lane Kiffin is respected throughout the country as a great coach. He was named Southern California's coach of year by the Los Angeles Sports Council and as the Trojans look to move forward it seems as though Kiffin is a good fit (via SB Nation).

He is loved and respected by players and fans alike, and this will bode well for Trojan success in the future.