USC has its fourth consecutive preseason top-20 ranking and its first top-10 slot since 2017.

The preseason AP Top 25 was released on Monday. USC will begin Year 2 under coach Lincoln Riley with a No. 6 ranking.

Last year, the program debuted at No. 14 in the preseason poll and closed the year out at No. 12.

Behind Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, the Trojans rose as high as No. 4 in the AP poll and were long considered a threat to make the College Football Playoff. Losses to Utah in the Pac-12 title game and Tulane in the Cotton Bowl ended the season on a sour note, though, and the Trojans enter 2023 with lots to prove.

That’s especially true on defense, where USC struggled to slow opponents all throughout the year. But a preseason top-10 ranking highlights just how much respect is owed to the Trojan offense. Though USC lost pieces on that side of the football, Riley and Co. reloaded well through the transfer portal.

The season begins on Aug. 26 at home against San Jose State.

USC is joined in the poll by four others from the Pac-12 — No. 10 Washington, No. 14 Utah, No. 15 Oregon, and No. 18 Oregon State — in what will be the league’s swan song season.

The rest of the preseason AP Top 25 can be found below, with first-place votes in parentheses:

  1. Georgia (60)
  2. Michigan (2)
  3. Ohio State (1)
  4. Alabama
  5. LSU
  6. USC
  7. Penn State
  8. Florida State
  9. Clemson
  10. Washington
  11. Texas
  12. Tennessee
  13. Notre Dame
  14. Utah
  15. Oregon
  16. Kansas State
  17. TCU
  18. Oregon State
  19. Wisconsin
  20. Oklahoma
  21. North Carolina
  22. Ole Miss
  23. Texas A&M
  24. Tulane
  25. Iowa

Receiving votes: Texas Tech 101, South Carolina 73, UCLA 66, UTSA 64, Arkansas 22, Boise St. 17, Pittsburgh 16, Kentucky 14, Louisville 10, Troy 10, Kansas 10, Auburn 7, Minnesota 6, Toledo 4, Duke 4, Mississippi St. 4, Florida 4, Illinois 3, Baylor 3, Coastal Carolina 3, South Alabama 1, NC State 1, James Madison 1, Liberty 1