There’s no denying the numbers. USC’s defense in one of the best in the land. They rank in the top-5 nationally in rushing defense and total defense and the top-10 in both pass efficiency defense and scoring defense. Their pass defense ranks 21st.

But after looking closer, you’ll notice that USC’s schedule has not been full of offensive powers. As you can see on the in the UO-USC GameDay in a Box, USC’s schedule ranks 107th in the nation. Their past opponents have a 14-32 record. It’s easy to shut down JV teams.

The graph below breaks it down. Just look at Notre Dame…no wonder the Irish went scoreless, they rank near the bottom of the NCAA in every offensive category.