ESPN has put together a committee of 15 writers to rank all 119 Division I football programs over the last 10 seasons, and USC has come out on top. With a record of 90-35, .720 winning percentage, 2 national titles, 5 conference titles, and a 4-3 bowl record, USC beat out #2 Ohio State, # 3 Texas, # 4 Florida, and # 5 Oklahoma.  (The next best Pac-10 team is Oregon at # 17, and UCLA checks in at # 27).  USC’s decade is summarized as follows:

Tradition, a talent pool that is local and deep, a coach who is both football smart and people smart, and a national identity among recruits as the “it” school: The Trojans have it all.

Ivan Maisel notes that none of the top teams in this survey has been dominant for the entire 10 year span, and that even USC got off to a slow start in the pre-Carroll era. But “over the last decade, however, the Trojans have been in a league of their own. ”

Storied programs dominate Ladder 119’s top rungs (ESPN)
Carroll’s coaching propels USC to top of decade ranking (ESPN)