Tags
"Fight On", cardinal and gold, college football, College Football Playoff, Exposition Park, football, Heisman Trophy, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, NCAA, Pac-12 Conference, Pac-12 South, Rose Bowl, Trojan Football, Trojans, University of Southern California, USC, USC Football, USC Trojans
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – TROJAN FOOTBALL
First Season: 1888
All-Time Record: 855-350-54
All-Time Bowl Record: 34-19
Conference Championships: 39
National Championships: 11
Heisman Trophy Winners: 7
First Game/First Home Game: San Jose State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Saturday, September 4, 2021, 2:00 p.m.
AS ALWAYS,
I’m going to be honest in predicting how these Trojans from just south of Downtown L.A. are going to fare in their 134th season.
Considering that they once again have a roster chock full of four and five star talent (which has been the case for as long as there has been a football program at USC, but that’s besides the point),
In looking at what I proclaimed in my preview post on this blog as an easy schedule for them,
I see only one game as a definite, “no way, no day, no chance” loss…
Notre Dame in South Bend on October 23rd.
They’ll not only be able to name the score against San Jose State, Oregon State and Arizona,
Coach Clay Helton’s goal for those games needs to be that the starters get pulled and all the reserves get playing time in the fourth quarter, maybe even by the end of the third quarter, lest he and his Trojans be accused of running up the score; those three contests have that kind of potential.
Especially since all three of those contests will be in the friendly confines of the Coliseum.
‘SC should be solid favorites against pretty much the rest of the teams they’ll be facing, though I see Arizona State giving them a good challenge and capable of beating them in Tempe,
Utah is a hungry team, has always been a hungry team, and will always be a hungry team, but let’s put it like this:
If that game was in Salt Lake City, I’d be a little worried if I were a Trojan fan.
And like Arizona State, Utah will give USC a battle;
In fact, I feel those are the two Pac-12 teams that are the most capable of beating ‘SC this year.
But since that Utah game in the Coliseum, combined with the fact that those Utes’ situation at quarterback needs a little tending to,
I’ll see that game as a solid win for the Trojans.
As For Crosstown Rival UCLA…
As has been the policy of this blog for as long as this blog has existed,
I do not make any predictions of the Crosstown Rivalry Clash until two days before those Trojans and Bruins kick off at the Coliseum.
In this season’s case, that day will come on Thursday, November 18th.
So with apologies, you’ll just have to wait until that day – when things unfold over the course of the season in particular – to find out what color I see the Victory Bell painted in after that 91st meeting of L.A.’s two biggest institutions of higher learning.
So What Do I See USC’s Record As?
Allowing for possible bad performances in games by the Trojans and possible games in which the opponent plays above their heads that they end up beating ‘SC,
My predictions for those Men of Troy are…
- TEN WINS – nine at worst
- A Pac-12 South title and a berth in the Pac-12 Championship Game
- A final ranking in the top fifteen, and…
- A major bowl game
As for whether they’ll beat (probably) Oregon or Washington and win that Pac-12 title game, I honestly don’t 100% know that at this moment.
But in the bottom line, I see USC as having a very good season.
I also see my predictions as not being good enough for the “Fire Helton” crowd, which evidently makes up the vast majority of the Trojan Family;
Anything short of what I see for ‘SC, and Helton will most likely be gone as the only way those “Fire Helton” Trojans will shut up is a conference crown, a spot in the top ten (preferably in the top five) and being one of the four teams in the College Football Playoff.
Or a Pac-12 crown, a spot in the top ten and a win in the Rose Bowl.
This USC team has more than enough talent to reach such heights.
Whether or not they’ll be successful and silence all those who want Helton thrown off campus with his pink slip and severance check induces two words from me:
““We’ll see.”
COMING NEXT WEEK ON THIS BLOG:
My 2021 preview and predictions for the football team of my alma mater, UCLA;
How I see their talent, what I’m demanding from them, and whether or not I see those Bruins ending their string of five straight losing seasons.
So…
Be sure to watch for them and don’t miss them!
SoCal Sports Chronicles 