The storied USC football team finished 4-8 last season, fired its head coach, lost its two best quarterbacks (both touted recruits), and saw arguably the nation's top receiver leave school early for the NFL Draft. Yet, the Trojans are set at Over/Under 9 wins for the 2022 college football season and have attracted the most money from bettors over the past month at Caesars Sportsbook to win the national title.
There's little question that USC upgraded on Clay Helton at head coach b y luring offensive mastermind Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to Los Angeles with a mammoth contract. While quarterbacks Kedon Slovis (among last year's early Heisman favorites) and Jaxson Dart have transferred out, former Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams transferred in, and he was magical at times as a freshman last year under Riley with the Sooners. Williams is a +1000 third favorite to win the Heisman.
All-American receiver Drake London is now with the Atlanta Falcons, but Riley replaced him with 2021 Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison from Pittsburgh. Addison caught 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns last season in being named first-team All-American. Riley also brought in two other talented transfers at the position in Oklahoma's Mario Williams, a freshman All-American last year, and Colorado's Brenden Rice, the son of some guy named Jerry Rice. 247Sports ranks the Trojans as the clear winners of the offseason transfer portal.
About a month ago, USC wa s +3500 to win the national title. It is now +2500 after taking 22 percent of all money since then to win the College Football Playoff at Caesars. The Trojans are also third in total tickets at 10 percent, trailing Alabama (16 percent) and LSU (12 percent).