USC Football: 10 Reasons the Trojans Won't Return to Dominance Under Kiffin

Lane Kiffin and his USC Trojans are still on probation with the NCAA, and they will have to wait at least one more season to reach a bowl game.

One of the biggest debates in the landscape of college football is whether or not USC can ever get back to national relevancy under Kiffin. 

When I say national relevancy I am talking about contending for the BCS National Championship more than once in his tenure. 

How long will Kiffin's tenure be at USC? He has been known for switching gears when things start to get ugly, so I truly would like to know if this USC program knows what they got with the hiring of Lane Kiffin.

Talent Level

The USC Trojans were accustomed to landing all the 5-star recruits under Pete Carroll, and Kiffin is still "fighting on" to land all of his own superstars.

Rivals.com currently has USC at No.16 for 2012 recruiting, but that is still not great enough for the high standards the Trojans are accustomed to having.

It is not as if USC is not landing good enough players to win games, but they lack the defensive studs right now to win their division, let alone a Pac-12 Championship or BCS title.

Oregon Ducks: We the Best

As soon as the Trojans began their fall a few seasons ago, the Chip Kelly-led Ducks started to dominate the conference.

Speed kills, and you certainly can't coach it.

USC lacks a bit in regards to the Reggie Bush days, but LaMichael James has transformed the way college football has now become.

So many offenses are now spread out with four receivers, and on top of that, many offenses are running no-huddle, which is nearly impossible to stop on defense unless you have a ton of depth.

With Kelly's high-octane offense steamrolling conference foes, it does not look like USC will be atop the Pac-12 anytime soon.

Stanford Cardinal: Slowly but Steady

Under David Shaw, Stanford looks like they are in good hands in the near future, even when Andrew Luck heads to the NFL.

Building tremendous play at the line of scrimmage has enabled the Cardinal to methodically move the ball offensively the past two seasons. They may lack the skill players in terms of NFL talent to say an Oregon, but their tight ends have been extremely productive.

Standford has had their stud running backs, but the push up front from the offensive line has allowed this offense to go bonkers in the Pac-12. USC will have their chances to take down the Cardinal in November, but at the moment they are a few clear-cut steps behind them.

Secondary

The last two seasons the Trojans' secondary has been abysmal, as their defensive backs have been burned time after time.

"If you fall I won't catch, time after time." 

I apologize for the singing, but I just have not been able to while watching any Trojans games in recent memory. The opposition has made it easy pickings while throwing against USC, and even the stats back it up.

Last season USC was ranked just 109th, allowing 259 yards per game. There has not been much improvement this season, ranking 71st while allowing 227 yards per game. With better teams left on the schedule USC is on pace to have yet another disappointing season in pass coverage.

Run Defense

The Trojans were accustomed to ranking in the top five every year in run defense with a loaded group of linebackers including Clay Matthews, Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga, among a few other All-American-caliber studs up front. 

Where have they all gone?

Well, they're all in the NFL, and it surely seems that the Trojans are missing a ton of horses who are accustomed to making plays behind the line of scrimmage. This team has not fallen off the face of the planet, but they certainly have quite a bit in terms of current NFL stardom.

Scheduling

Remember when USC scheduled a great Fresno State team, as well as the Buckeyes with a two-year home-and-home contract?

Why did they stop?

Oh wait, they can't compete with the best teams right now.

If they want to prove they're the best in the nation, they need to star beating the best. Syracuse and Minnesota are soft BCS-caliber teams, and Notre Dame does not count since it is a rivalry game (though it helps a little). 

The Trojans need to start scheduling a heavyweight team from the SEC or the Big 12, in my eyes, if they want to get back with the upper echelon teams in college football.

If not, they may never escape this awful brand of football they are playing at the moment—at least for their standards.

Stability

With all the penalties that have surfaced for the Trojans and without a bowl possibility for another season, many question if this program can ever get back up to the top of the mountain.

Will Lane Kiffin stay true to his word and stay with the Trojans, or will he bolt as if he is getting asked out on a date for the first time?

There is no doubt that this USC program plays a lot like their coach. They often have a ton of highs and lows during their games, and like Kiffin, they do not always know how to handle prosperity or the struggles when they come.

Discipline

The lack of discipline and the penalties are starting to become a real issue for this Trojans program. They have plenty of issues off the field, but on Saturday's they have quite a bit of issues on the field. 

They are currently ranked 107th in the nation, averaging 7.75 penalties per game, which is not a ranking where you want to be low.

Last season, USC was ranked 98th in penalties, and if this does not get fixed anytime soon we might be disappointed for the next several years in L.A.

Expectations

What has happened to the expectations for the USC Trojans? Are they still high, or because of the recent altercations on and off the field should they be lowered a ton?

I have USC as a solid nine-win team this season, but I have not been impressed one bit this year. They had a solid victory over Syracuse, but that was Syracuse.

Getting thumped on the road against Arizona State was a bit depressing since this was a team that we all thought was at the same level as USC.

If Kiffin and the boys ever expect to reach a BCS bowl or ever win a Pac-12 Championship, they need to soon raise the expectations, change their attitudes and pony up.

Having the "It" Factor

Is Lane Kiffin really the answer at Southern California?

People have questioned him many times, but deservedly so, as he has not done anything special during his short tenure.

How long will it take for the Trojans to reach a BCS bowl? Will they ever accomplish such a task under Lane Kiffin?

I remember back when he coached the Volunteers some believed he was one of the top coaches in the game, and I was scratching my head wondering if he would ever reach a legit New Year's Day bowl.

Well, his Vols did get belted by Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl back in 2009, but the Trojans should be in decent hands if Kiffin can slowly start to get more talented, consistent play at the lines of scrimmage. 

Matt Barkley may be gone after this season, and though they have some talent at that position, they need to land another home run hitter at the the skill position if they ever wish to return to the glory days of Leinart, Bush, Jarrett and so on.