USC proves it’s a playoff contender in signature win over Michigan

Don’t look now, but a Lincoln Riley team just beat the snot out of a Big Ten bruiser.

Don’t look now, but a cute USC team just brutally slugged itself onto the path toward the College Football Playoff.

Don’t … oh, go ahead and look. Please, look. These being your traditionally flopping Trojans, you might not recognize them, but look anyway, because this is real, not to mention real fun and real loud.

The roar that swept through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night did not come from Dodger Stadium, but the Coliseum, a rollicking backdrop for USC’s 31-13 victory over 15th-ranked Michigan on a stage full of gritty surprises.

Who are these brawlers? In earning their first signature Big Ten win in the two seasons since they joined the conference, the Trojans shoved and slugged and stole the Wolverines cheating hearts, outgaining them, 489-316, including rushing for 115 more yards.

“Awesome, awesome win,” said Riley. “Tough, tough response by our football team. … I thought we attacked it … dominated the football game on all sides … gritty, tough performance.”

What was that noise? The Coliseum was as raucous as it’s been in several years, screaming with John Robinson strength and Pete Carroll power, sounding like the glory days again, and it made a difference.

“I would imagine a lot of people would say that’s what it used to feel like around here in the Coliseum,” Riley said. “That was an epic atmosphere, the place was just on fire … you could just feel the impact of our crowd … you could feel the energy.”

And, for goodness sakes, who is this King Miller? He’s a third-string running back who actually pays to attend class with his million-dollar teammates, a walk-on who stepped in after top running backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders were injured and rumbled for 158 yards and a touchdown.

“King was huge, stepped up, made big plays,” said Riley, later adding, “And honestly, hell, we didn’t have anybody else, so what was I gonna do?”

In all, a surprisingly stealthy showing for a team that just two weeks ago folded in the final ticks in Illinois. In the embattled Riley’s fourth season, with his reputation’s back against the wall, this was a statement of strength, a message of transformation.

“It says we’re a tough-ass physical program,” Riley said. “That’s what it says.”

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passes against Michigan in the first half Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

It also says they have a legitimate championship chance. The Trojans have a gifted quarterback in Jayden Maiava, a running-back pool so deep that the third guy is a King, arguably the best receiving group in the country, an athletic defense led by unreal linebacker Eric Gentry, a coach who is suddenly calling all the right plays, and now…

Could they really have a spot in the 12-team CFP?

On a wonderfully grimy Saturday night, it sure felt like it.

The Trojans are 5-1 in a new era where even two-loss teams can qualify and, OK, just play along here for a sec.

The Trojans have six remaining games in a schedule that could easily contain at least five wins. Yes, they play next week at Notre Dame, but that’s not the high hurdle it once appeared to be.

After that, all but one of the rest of the games seem reasonably winnable, home against Northwestern and Iowa, at Nebraska and UCLA.

Their biggest remaining thorn is embedded in a late November trip to Eugene, but, hey, Oregon just lost at home to Indiana, so who knows?

The week began with some trash talking about the Trojans’ adored home from Michigan coach Sherrone Moore

“We’re not celebrating going to the Coliseum, there’s no pictures and selfies because we’re at the nice Coliseum,” said Moore rather desperately. “It’s sold out, but it’s sold out because Michigan’s coming.”

To which Riley curtly responded, “I don’t really care what he says.”

Advantage Trojans.

Then just before kickoff, there was more drama when a limping basketball star led the Trojans out of the tunnel after recently announcing she would not play this season while recovering from last spring’s knee surgery. Welcome back, JuJu Watkins.

Huge advantage, Trojans.

USC then set the tone by executing a near-perfect opening drive. Every play call worked, every Maiava pass was on target, every run went for yards after contact.

The Trojans drove 75 yards in 11 plays in barely six minutes, scoring to take the lead on a two-yard flick to a wide-open Ja’Kobi Lane.

Michigan then slowly took over, eventually occupying more than six minutes midway through the second quarter with a bruising 14-play, 86-yard touchdown drive that ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Underwood to Donaven McCulley.

Tie game. Wolverines jabbing back. The Trojans folding? Every football cliche about West Coast softness coming true? Not this time. Not this team.

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon makes a 12-yard touchdown catch in front of Michigan defensive back Jayden Sanders in the second quarter Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“People thinking they can just come out here and do anything to us,” said defensive end Kameryn Crawford. “We had to prove that we just can’t go for anything.”

The Trojans regained possession and promptly drove downfield to end the first half with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a spectacular falling-backward-over-his-head touchdown catch by Makai Lemon with Michigan defensive back Jayden Sanders in his face.

They never trailed again, they were never even threatened again, the game ending with a second Bishop Fitzgerald interception, a kneel-down, and a familiar chant.

“We are … SC! We are … SC!”

For one magically throwback night, indeed they were.