The Trojans entered the conversation at No. 16. They exit the regular season sitting at No. 20, and that four-spot drop tells you everything about how the last few weeks went. A 9-4 record is respectable on paper — plenty of programs would take it in a heartbeat — but the trajectory is what stings. You don't fall four slots by accident.
Right now, this is a team searching for an identity. Nine wins says the talent is there. Four losses say the margin for error isn't. The Trojans aren't in free fall, but they're not trending up either — they're stuck in that uncomfortable middle, and how they respond to the slide will define whether No. 20 is a floor or a ceiling.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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