Moss has solidified himself as one of the early favorites to win the Heisman Trophy Getty
Dating back to Lincoln Riley's tenure as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, his name has been synonymous with elite quarterback play. Riley coached Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and Spencer Rattler in Norman, and perhaps the most talented signal caller of the bunch -- Caleb Williams -- followed him from Oklahoma to Southern California to start a new era at USC.
USC's current signal caller, Miller Moss, is well on his way to adding to Riley's quarterback lineage. Moss and No. 11 USC will have its biggest challenge as a quarterback-coach duo when they face No. 18 Michigan on Saturday on CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET.
This weekend's marquee showdown at the Big House is a unique chance to add to Moss' (early) legacy as USC's quarterback and the Trojans getting their first crack at playing a true road game as a member of the Big Ten against the defending national champions.
Moss has not only solidified himself as USC's starting quarterback but is one of the early betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy (his +1800 odds have him ranking seventh, according to some markets). Moss' 979 passing yards in his first three career starts is the most by a USC quarterback this century. Moss has passed for 607 yards and two touchdowns in the first two games of the season against LSU and Utah State and has drawn high praise from someone familiar with elite quarterback play.
"There's no question (Miller) is really smart," Riley said last week on the All Facts No Breaks Podcast. "He's one of the smartest ones, and maybe the smartest (quarterback) that I've had, which is saying something. ... Those other guys really understood the game, too, but he's got a great mind for it."
Moss won't have to look further than what Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers did earlier this month against Michigan to boost his standing in the Heisman pecking order. Ewers was surgical in the win over Michigan, throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns, which ultimately helped elevate the Longhorns to No. 1 ranked team in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
Ewers' standout performance catapulted him to the top of the Heisman Trophy odds charts before exiting last weekend's game against UTSA with an abdominal strain that will likely knock him out for Saturday's showdown against Louisiana-Monroe.
With a win this weekend, Moss can become the first USC quarterback to have three ranked wins under his belt since Sam Darnold. Moss' predecessor, Williams, went 2-7 in his USC career against ranked opponents, with the lone ranked road win coming in the 2022 campaign against crosstown rival UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Moss was the first quarterback under Riley to start (and win) his regular season debut over a ranked opponent.
Miller Moss USC * QB * #7 6-2, 205 YARDS607TD2QBR73.9Comp %7,270.0 Moss' 979 passing yards in his first three career starts (including Holiday Bowl vs. Louisville) is the most by a USC QB this century. View Profile
And more: Moss could become the first quarterback to win three games against ranked opponents in his first four career FBS starts since former Ohio State's Cardale Jones accomplished the feat en route to his team winning the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Getting over the hump against Michigan would symbolize a new era at USC. The Trojans are 2-15 in their last 17 games against ranked opponents on the road and have lost those games by an average of 10.5 points. Riley is 4-7 against Top 25 teams in his USC tenure. Michigan has won 22 consecutive conference games and is 13-0 in Ann Arbor against Big Ten opponents since 2021.
Something will have to give on Saturday and if the latter streak gets broken, it could be the perfect moment to jump on the "Moss for Heisman" bandwagon.