USC football won't have 2026 fun if it can't stop the run in Big Ten

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If USC football is going to put all the pieces together in 2026, a few core pillars must exist, tall and strong. One is the defensive line, as ESPN's Bill Connelly writes.

Connelly notes that USC has a chance to max out this season "If … (Gary) Patterson unearths a run defense. USC ranked 36th in defensive SP+ in 2025 — the Trojans' best ranking since 2017 — but they were still just 96th in yards allowed per carry (no sacks) and gave up at least 170 rushing yards in three of four losses. The defensive line has experience, some new blood and further improvement to engineer."

USC's young and inexperienced defensive line got shoved around way too much last season. It happened at Illinois. It happened at Oregon. It happened at Notre Dame. It happened in the first quarter at Nebraska. It happened in the first quarter against Iowa. It happened at times against Michigan State. USC's defensive line was way too inconsistent. The younger guys in that group have to take major steps forward this year. The Trojans have to clamp down on the run game so that opponents don't drain the clock and keep the ball away from Jayden Maiava and the offense. It's long past time for a USC defensive line to be nasty again. A College Football Playoff appearance isn't likely if the Trojans can't stand tall against the run.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football won't have 2026 fun if it can't stop the run in Big Ten

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