The 2018 preseason Amway Coaches Poll hit the wire on Thursday morning with USC football settled comfortably at No. 15.
The Trojans are sandwiched between Michigan and TCU in the middle portion of the ranking, trailing No. 13 Stanford, No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 6 Washington before the season begins.
Alabama commanded 61 of 65 first place votes atop the standings with No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Georgia rounding out the playoff spots.
The coaches agreed with the consensus ranking for the Trojans this offseason. Most polls have fitted USC somewhere in the teens as an acknowledgement of the immense talent on the roster, particularly on a defense returning key seniors across the lineup.