USC and 3 most disappointing college football teams in 2023
With only one week left in the college football regular season, it's time to look at the most disappointing teams from the 2023 season. These were teams that entered the year with promise and high aspirations yet either fizzled out as the season progressed or never got going in the first place. We start with a team that definitely failed to deliver and meet their high expectations: USC football .
USC Trojans
Coming in as a preseason No. 6 in the country, USC football was supposed to have already sealed up their spot, at the very least, in the Pac-12 Championship Game since they got a head start on everyone playing in Week 0. But instead, the Trojans are sitting at home on Thanksgiving weekend without not only a regular season game to play but waiting to see what lower-tier bowl they have now earned, given their 7-5 record.
There was perhaps no more hyped team coming out of last season than USC football, given that they had a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback returning in Caleb Williams, what seemed like a much-improved team coming off an 11-3 win season, and finally, the head coach to lead them in Lincoln Riley. But after a somewhat sluggish 6-0 start that kept lowering their rankings in the polls, everyone began questioning how they would survive a gauntlet ahead of them that consisted of facing four ranked teams in their next five games.
USC football's only win after their 6-0 start was against a really bad Cal team by one point. They not only didn't win another game, but the Trojans, who were favored to make the College Football Playoff in the preseason, didn't beat a single ranked opponent all season. Most of that had a lot to do with their 117th ranked total defense, that ultimately led to the firing of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. The season took such a turn that is has many questioning Lincoln Riley's tenure .
Clemson Tigers
Clemson football came into the 2023 season ranked No. 9 in the country. Even though the Tigers had missed the last two years in the playoff, most believed this was still a pretty team. They were still a talented team that was coming off winning their seventh ACC Championship in eight years, and head coach Dabo Swinney had made some necessary hirings in new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. This team, at the very least, would be battling Florida State for the conference title, right?
Clemson football's disappointing season started early in the very first game when they lost to Duke by three touchdowns. They then lost in overtime to Florida State three weeks later in overtime, followed by another two overtime loss to Miami, then NC State the following week. The Tigers' four losses are the most under Swinney since 2011, with still one game remaining against in-state rival South Carolina and the bowl game, which many thought might not be possible for the Tigers this season for a while.
Add in Swinney's tirades, which involved calling out his own fanbase to verbally battling with “Tyler from Spartanburg,” and it was an oddball season. One that still may have some questioning Swinney's tenure at Clemson. Clemson finds themselves ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time this season in Week 13.
Tennessee Volunteers
After surprising everyone in college football last season, getting as high as No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings at one point last season, the Volunteers never got better than their No. 12 preseason ranking this season and are currently (somehow) still ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings at No. 21.
Tennessee football, rightfully so, came in with a lot of hype after last season's surprise that ended with an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson. Josh Heupel and his electric offense seemed to be the right combination that Knoxville needed to revive what had been a Volunteers football team that had more or less been in the slums for the better part of two decades. He had helped orchestrate wins that had alleviated perceived curses over rival teams like Florida and Alabama last season, all within the confines of the mesmerizing Neyland Stadium crowds.
The problem with this season came in that those games were on the road for Heupel and the Volunteers in 2023, where three of their four losses came from. A massively disappointing 29-16 loss to Florida in The Swamp was an early indication that this wasn't the same Tennessee football team from last season. Losses to No. 11 Alabama in Tuscaloosa and No. 1 Georgia at home weren't all that surprising — although Tennessee did lead Alabama 20-7 at halftime — but a lopsided loss of 36-7 to No. 14 Missouri on the road was a bit of a headscratcher.
This year's Volunteers football team still have a shot to win nine games, with one final regular-season game remaining against a 2-9 Vanderbilt team at home, followed by a bowl game.
LSU Tigers
Brian Kelly shocked the entire SEC last season when he took over the LSU football program. He proceeded to beat Nick Saban and Alabama in his first season in Baton Rouge to cash the Tigers' ticket to the SEC Championship Game. Even though they were beaten by 20 by the eventual national champions in Georgia in that game, LSU football finished with a 10-4 season.
That made them the preseason No. 5 team in the country with the usual high expectations. But those expectations were quickly tempered after a 45-24 loss to Florida State in the opener. However, the LSU football only added two more losses against then No. 20 Ole Miss in a shootout and No. 8 Alabama by two scores, both on the road.
With only a Jimbo Fisher-less Texas A&M team to go, 10 wins are still on the table for LSU football. But going from preseason No. 5 to now No. 14 with no shot at making the SEC title game has to be considered disappointing after last year's outcome. It's especially disappointing because they have a Heisman Trophy favorite Jayden Daniels lighting it up all season, having to cover for a terrible defense that's been the culprit to LSU's losses.
