National football commentators are focused on USC's Gary Patterson

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National college football experts have questions about every top team going into the 2026 season. What's the big question surrounding the USC Trojans? USA TODAY Sports is focused on Lincoln Riley's new defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson.

"He hasn’t held a full-time, on-field role since 2021," the article stated. "What has Patterson learned during his post-TCU bounce around the Power Four? USC hopes he can build a stronger defense in the trenches after last year’s failures against the run led to crippling losses against Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon."

Gary Patterson's arrival at USC coincides with Ohio State, the No. 1 team in the country, also making a coordinator change, but on offense, with Arthur Smith coming in from the NFL to try to improve what the Buckeyes did in 2025, when they were inconsistent and ultimately exposed by Miami in the College Football Playoff.

USA TODAY Sports wrote that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day "definitely earned an A+ for bringing in Matt Patricia as his defensive coordinator last winter. All OSU did last year was rank first nationally in giving up 219.1 yards per game. This offseason, Day hired another former NFL head coach in Arthur Smith to run the offense. What he unlocks from Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the Buckeyes will determine the national championship."

Coordinator versus coordinator. This is a huge talking point at USC and Ohio State, shaping the 2026 Big Ten football race.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: National football commentators are focused on USC's Gary Patterson

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