USC Football: Reasons the Trojans Will Reach the BCS Title Game

The USC Trojans will enter the 2012 college football season as one of the early favorites.

The Trojans finished the 2011 season as one of the hottest teams in the country but were unable to compete in postseason play.

They finished the year 10-2 with a win over rival Notre Dame and a road victory over the Oregon Ducks.

The Trojans are returning plenty of key starters in Lane Kiffin's third year as head coach and look poised to make a run at the championship.

There are certain factors, such as injuries or off-field incidents that could dramatically impact their season.

However, there are plenty of reasons why the Trojans will make the BCS National Championship, and here's a look at some of those.

1. Matt Barkley

When Matt Barkley announced he would remain at USC for his senior season, the Trojans immediately became title contenders in 2012.

Barkley would've been a sure-fire top-10 pick in the NFL draft but decided he had unfinished business to take care of.

He threw for 3,528 yards with 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in his junior campaign. That season was good enough to put him in the top 10 nationally in passing efficiency.

Barkely's shown consistent improvement from his freshman season to his senior season. There's no reason to suggest he won't continue that improvement and have another monster year for the Trojans.

Barkely's efficiency as a quarterback combined with his leadership ability is the main reason to expect the Trojans in the BCS title game.

2. Robert Woods

Robert Woods is a beast.

Woods is a freakish talent and will arguably be the best wide receiver in the country in 2011.

The 6'1", 190 pound junior accounted for 1,292 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 111 catches in an All-American season.

The 111 catches are a Pac-12 record and will be the early favorite for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation's best receiver.

The dynamic receiver also possesses great skills on special teams. He had 393 yards returning kicks and 118 yards on punt returns.

Woods is the most explosive receiver in college football in 2012 and will likely be a top-5 pick if he leaves USC after this season.

The combination of him and Barkley is downright scary for the rest of the Pac-12 Conference.

3. Experience

The Trojans are returning 19 starters, which includes the kicker and punter, from its 10-2 team in 2011.

Nine of those returning starters are on offense and eight on defense.

The Trojans are bringing back a 3,500-yard passer, 1,000-yard running back, two 1,000-yard receivers and two tight ends who caught nine touchdown passes each.

On defense, they return their top four tacklers and the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.

Most of the players on the field will already have experience at their position. Not only are they extremely talented, but they are experienced.

These guys have already proven they can play in the Pac-12. The Trojans return a ton of key players in 2012, and the experience they now have playing college football will pay dividends for them this season.

4. Lane Kiffin

Say what you want about the brashness of Lane Kiffin, but he can coach some football.

Kiffin made headlines in his one season at the University of Tennessee by calling out veteran coaches and has been scrutinized heavily for it.

Kiffin is still somewhat unproven but has shown enough in just a few years as a college head coach to show why USC took a chance on him.

In his first year at Tennessee, he posted a 7-6 record but nearly knocked off eventual national champion, Alabama, and turned quarterback Jonathan Crompton from a battered backup to an NFL draft pick.

He is 18-7 in his two seasons at USC and has been influential in the growth of Barkley as a quarterback.

He's been a part of great pro-style offenses as an assistant at USC which featured players including Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer and Reggie Bush.

He's got great players to work with this season, and this will be his year to establish himself as a coach at the college level.

5. Schedule

The schedule is a crucial element that plays a role in which teams play for a BCS National Championship.

The Trojans' 2012 schedule looks manageable on paper.

They get non-conference opponents Hawaii and Notre Dame at home, and they play Syracuse in New Jersey the second game of the year.

Home conference games include California, Colorado, Oregon and Arizona State. It is huge for the Trojans to get Oregon at home even though they beat the Ducks at their place last season.

Road conference games are usually the stumbling blocks for title contenders, and the Trojans have a few tricky games.

They play Stanford, Utah, Washington, Arizona and UCLA on the road.

Utah could prove to be a test as it's a nationally televised game on a Thursday night. However, they have a bye week the Saturday before which could help them prepare for the stiff test.

Stanford should take a step back this season, and the rest of the conference features middle of the pack opponents.

On paper, the Trojans should manage their 2012 schedule with just one loss or perhaps even go undefeated.

6. Receiving Corps

Robert Woods is one of the best receivers in the country and deserved his own spot on this list.

However, the entire Trojan receiving corps is also one of the best in the country.

Along with Woods at the wide receiver position are speedy sophomores Marquis Lee and George Farmer.

Lee racked up 1,143 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 73 catches. Woods and Lee became the Trojans' best receiving duo in terms of yards and catches.

Farmer is a former 5-star recruit who didn't make a huge impact in 2011 but is expected to get more touches in 2012. He features blazing speed much like his receiver counterparts and could have a major impact on special teams.

Barkley also has two huge tight end targets. Sophomores Randall Telfer and Xavier Grimble have huge potential and combined for nine touchdowns in 2011.

Barkley will have tons of options to throw to in 2012 and will make the Trojans one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

7. Postseason Opportunity

The Trojans were faced with a two-year bowl ban for the past two seasons due to improper benefits to Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.

The Trojans had basically nothing to play for in 2011 other than pride and still posted a 10-2 record and finished in the top-10 of the polls.

It is scary to think that a team with nothing to play for had such a good year. It speaks volumes to the effort the players and coaches made each week.

You see it all the time in sports. Teams at the professional or college level with no shot at the postseason tank their remainder games. That wasn't the Trojans in 2011.

And now, the Trojans are eligible for the Pac-12 conference championship as well as a BCS bowl bid.

Now, the Trojans have everything to play for.

8. Secondary

The Trojans will have a deep and talented secondary in 2012, led by safety T.J. McDonald.

McDonald announced the day before Barkley he'd be returning to USC for his senior season and immediately boosted the secondary.

McDonald was a 2011 All-American and a candidate to win the Thorpe Award in 2012 from the free safety position.

The hard-hitting safety was third on the team in tackles and has six career interception.

Every other starter in the secondary is back to join McDonald. Senior Jawanza Starling gives the Trojans an experienced safety tandem.

Junior Nickell Robey and senior Isiah Wiley return at the cornerback position to make this one of the strongest units for the Trojans.

Led by McDonald, the secondary unit should provide an anchor for the Trojan defense this season.

9. Linebackers

The linebacker position was somewhat of an unknown in 2011.

Now, the Trojans have a trio of young starters who are clearly the starters in 2012.

Dion Bailey, Hayes Pullard and Lamar Dawson all started for the Trojans as freshman last season. They have a year under their belt now and should be able to play much faster this season.

Freshman struggle at times grasping the playbook and think too much instead of reacting. Bailey, Pullard and Dawson should be even more comfortable on the field this season than last.

They all showed great potential, but Bailey and Pullard stood out the most as they were selected to the 2011 Freshman All-American team.

Trojan fans will enjoy watching this group fly around the field in their sophomore seasons.

Adding to the excitement, Kiffin has stated he feels this unit can be one of the best linebacker units in the nation.

10. Recruiting

In today's college football world, recruiting is essential.

The teams that get the best players usually have the most success. There are few teams that compete at a high level without getting the upper echelon talent, but it is not the norm.

For example, from 2009-2011 Alabama had three top-three recruiting classes according to ESPN.com.

USC has been getting it done on the recruiting trail. Their last four classes have featured three top-10 finishes and another top-15.

This year, the Trojans could not sign as many players as other teams due to their scholarship restrictions.

However, the Trojans still finished with a top-15 class and shows they are bringing in quality recruits.

The best players usually leads to better results.

The Trojans have talent and have talented depth. That will prove vital for them in their campaign for a BCS title in 2012.