Tag: usc football schedule

USC’s most important game in the 2024 football season is the first one

#USC plays Michigan, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Iowa, and UCLA in 2024, but the biggest game is the #LSU opener. We explain why.

We are writing a lot about the new Big Ten football schedule.

Every Big Ten team knows which opponents it will face in 2024 and 2025, and the home and road assignments are also known.

We wrote that “The Big Ten is also doing away with divisions, something the Pac-12 and ACC have recently done. The top two teams in the conference standings are the two teams which will play in the 2024 Big Ten Championship Game in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Big Ten has used a scheduling format called “flex protect plus,” in which not every team gets the same number of fixed annual opponents. Iowa has three fixed opponents — Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — while USC has only one fixed opponent, the UCLA Bruins.”

We are looking at USC’s schedule and evaluating which games are especially important in 2024. We are going to come right out and say it: The season opener versus LSU in Las Vegas is the most important game for USC next year. Why, though? You’re probably wondering what would make us arrive at such a conclusion. We’ll explain below:

Twitter reaction to USC’s first-ever Big Ten football schedule

What a day. USC hosting Michigan and Ohio State visiting UCLA. It’s a #B1G day. Here’s how people reacted:

The first-ever USC Big Ten football schedule has been released.

The Trojans now know their full 2024 list of opponents.

It’s all very exciting, and it’s a glimpse into a very new and different future for the Men of Troy.

You will want to follow our new Big Ten College Wire partners: Cornhuskers Wire is one. You will want to check in on Cornhuskers Wire for extensive coverage of Nebraska football.

We also talked to Hawkeyes Wire about this new Big Ten schedule before it came out.

Badgers Wire caught the leaked details of the Big Ten schedule a few hours before the formal announcement on Thursday afternoon. There are so many reactions to gather. Here’s how the larger college football world reacted to USC’s first Big Ten football schedule:

Comparing USC’s 2024 Big Ten football schedule to the Michigan Wolverines

We will play @WolverinesWire in the L.A. Coliseum. See how #USC’s and #Michigan’s 2024 #B1G schedules compare.

USC and Michigan will soon be conference competitors. When USC moves to the Big Ten, it will be a completely different ballgame for the Trojans and Wolverines. Let’s compare USC’s and Michigan’s schedules, shall we?

Isaiah Hole and his team at Wolverines Wire now know which Big Ten teams they will face. They also know when they will play USC and UCLA for the first time in a Big Ten Conference game.

“We now know who Michigan football will play and there are some interesting matchups when it comes to the conference schedule. Per usual, the Wolverines will play nine conference games, including rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. The maize and blue will also face both USC and UCLA in year one of the new-look conference, though they will play neither the following year,” Hole wrote.

In 2024, Michigan plays these nine Big Ten teams: Ohio State, Illinois, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan State, Maryland, and USC.

In 2024, USC plays these nine Big Ten teams: Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, UCLA, Purdue, Penn State, Northwestern, Maryland, and Michigan.

Michigan’s unique 2024 opponents: Ohio State, Rutgers, Minnesota, and Michigan State.

USC’s unique 2024 opponents: Iowa, Purdue, Penn State, Northwestern.

Michigan and USC common 2024 opponents: Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, UCLA, and each other.

All in all, neither team has a huge schedule advantage, but the one notable advantage USC has in 2024 is that it doesn’t play Ohio State. Michigan does.

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2024 USC football schedule — all 12 opponents are set

Dates and times aren’t available for most 2024 #USC football games, but the 12 opponents are now official. #B1G news!

Our friends at Badgers Wire, and all our fellow College Wire sites in the Big Ten, have a lot to talk about. The Big Ten released its 2024 football schedule and the football scheduling system it will use. That’s going to fill these upcoming weeks in June and July with a lot of discussion, analysis, and — perhaps — some travel planning for various fan bases.

Ben Kenney of Badgers Wire noted the Big Ten schedule release by picking up on some leaked details before the official announcement:

“The changes will begin in 2024, lining up with the additions of USC and UCLA to the conference and the expansion of the College Football Playoff. More specifics will be released as the week continues, but it’s safe to say Wisconsin’s path to the Big Ten Championship game is about to get much tougher,” Kenney wrote.

He continued:

“USC is on the rise under Lincoln Riley, coming close to a Playoff appearance in his first season at the helm. Heisman quarterback Caleb Williams will likely be in the NFL when 2024 rolls around, but the trip out to USC projects to be as tough as any other road trip in the conference.”

Let’s look at all 12 USC football opponents in 2024. We don’t know when each of the 12 games will be played, but we now know all 12 opponents.

Here they are, as first reported by Nicole Auerbach and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic:

2024 USC Big Ten football opponents leaked hours before official reveal

Before the planned #B1G football schedule reveal, some select opponents have been leaked. @TheBadgersWire has more details.

The Big Ten football schedule reveal, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, has been preceded by some schedule leaks. These are not official announcements, but these sorts of leaks usually point to the actual schedule. They generally represent what will be accurate information.

Courtesy of our friends at Badgers Wire, four USC opponents have been leaked in advance of the official Big Ten football schedule release.

USC’s move to the Big Ten has created a lot of speculation about its future opponents, and more specifically, about the schedule rotation and structure in which the Trojans will operate. After Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported these leaked schedule details, the speculation will intensify … and the excitement will build.

Below are the four leaked opponents plus a few other schedule leaks:

USC Football Schedule 2023: Analysis, Breakdown, 3 Things To Know

USC football schedule 2023. Analysis, breakdown, 3 things to know

USC football schedule 2023: Who do the Trojans miss on the Pac-12 schedule and what are 3 things to know?

USC Football Schedule 2023: 3 Things To Know

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Aug 26 San Jose State

Sept 2 Nevada

Sept 9 Stanford

Sept 16 OPEN DATE

Sept 23 at Arizona State

Sept 30 at Colorado

Oct 7 Arizona

Oct 14 at Notre Dame

Oct 21 Utah

Oct 28 at Cal

Nov 4 Washington

Nov 11 at Oregon

Nov 18 UCLA

Nov 25 OPEN DATE

2023 College Football Rankings 1-133: First Look

USC Football Schedule What To Know: Who do the Trojans miss from the Pac-12 slate?

In one of the more unfortunate scheduling quirks of of 2022, USC was able to miss both Oregon and Washington. That was a huge part of the puzzle to get the Trojans within a hamstring of the College Football Playoff.

The two other big boys are back on the slate now in back-to-back weeks in November. That stinks, but missing both Oregon State – who was a nasty out in 2022 – and Washington State isn’t a bad deal.

USC Football Schedule What Really Matters

Yeah, having Oregon and Washington back on the schedule is a big deal, but … boo hoo. If USC really is improved enough defensively to be back in the Pac-12 Championship and CFP mix, there’s no real problem with the conference slate.

There are only four Pac-12 road games and five away dates overall. Washington has to come to LA, UCLA has to make the trip down the road, and best of all, Utah is a home game. Three of the conference road games against Cal, Arizona State, and Colorado are about as manageable as they get. The date at Oregon isn’t.

USC Football Schedule What To Know: What does it all really mean?

San Jose State, Nevada, Stanford, a week off, at Arizona State, at Colorado, Arizona. That means USC plays one team that went bowling in 2022 before the middle of October, and San Jose State is hardly anything to get into a twist over.

However, there’s a run of three road games in four weeks, and the end of the fun is Notre Dame. The finishing kick is rough with that date against the Irish, Utah, at Cal, Washington, at Oregon, UCLA, but is USC is that good, getting back to the Pac-12 Championship at 11-1 is possible.

With Washington and Oregon back in the mix, though – along with the road game at Notre Dame – it might not be probable.

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2023 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Oregon Ducks blogger and podcast host agrees with us: USC got the short end of the stick

Think we’re overreacting to the #Pac12FB schedule? @Ducks_Wire editor and Sco-Ing Long Oregon podcast host @ZacharyCNeel thinks USC fans have a right to be angry.

File this one under “His words, not mine.”

We have stated our case, making the argument that USC was uniquely disadvantaged by the 2023 Pac-12 football schedule. Surely, everyone else in the Pac-12 media ecosystem thinks we’re just whining and bellyaching on our way out the door to the Big Ten.

Or maybe not!

Not so fast, my friend!

Ducks Wire editor Zachary Neel has offered his analysis of every team’s Pac-12 football schedule for 2023. You can read Zach’s incisive, thoughtful piece and judge for yourself. We encourage you to follow Zach and his team at Ducks Wire for complete coverage of Oregon football and Oregon athletics.

Zach, who — full disclosure — invited Trojans Wire onto his new podcast earlier this week, has thought about the claim that USC was given a uniquely bad break by the Pac-12 on its way out the door.

Zach wrestled with the facts. He considered all the angles.

Here’s what he had to say:

“What became clear during that exercise, and in listening to the narrative built over the past week, is that the USC Trojan fans are not happy with how things played out in the schedule-making process.

“I think their anger is justified, as well.”

Zach continues a little later in his piece, noting that USC plays Notre Dame, Utah, Washington and Oregon in a five-week stretch:

“If you compare that stretch of five games for USC to the toughest stretch of games on Oregon’s schedule — Week 7 at Washington, Week 8 vs. Washington State, and Week 9 at Utah — it’s clear which option I’d rather have. On top of that, the Ducks also get to play Utah the week after the Utes play USC, and USC the week after the Trojans play Washington. That’s not nothing.”

His words, not mine.

An Oregon blogger and podcast host agrees with Trojans Wire. It’s not just us. Others outside our USC-centric orbit agree.

Be sure to listen to Zach’s new Oregon podcast, Sco-Ing Long. Continue to follow his work at Ducks Wire all year long.

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We can all be adults here and admit that George Kliavkoff is being a smart, savvy Pac-12 commish

If you were #Pac12 commissioner right now, you would have catered to #Oregon — not #USC — in crafting your football schedule. Even @Ducks_Wire would agree.

Let’s be adults here, folks. Let’s be grownups. Let’s be mature individuals and admit the simple truth. It’s okay. It’s not a sign of weakness to admit what we can all see in the room: The Pac-12 very clearly catered to the University of Oregon in crafting and approving of its 2023 conference football schedule. The conference was just as clear and transparent in not catering to the University of Southern California.

We can simply admit this as mature adults, or we can look off to the side and pretend this didn’t happen. It’s your choice.

We don’t have to pretend. We can be honest with ourselves and each other and see this schedule for what it is.

Let’s be very clear: USC was catered to and given a soft, cushiony ride last year in the 2022 schedule release. The Pac-12 rolled out the red carpet for the Trojans. We never refused to admit that, too.

Then came the move to the Big Ten. Suddenly, USC was no longer valued by George Kliavkoff. Oregon was.

We can just admit this or pretend these considerations are irrelevant. Come on now. Let’s go through the details and simply admit the truth:

Pac-12 fans are twisting themselves into pretzels, claiming USC didn’t get uniquely disadvantaged

Having a week “off” in Week 13? Not really. USC’s 12-game schedule ends before Week 13. It means something for #USC only if the Trojans can get to Las Vegas first.

Predictably, the non-USC fans in the Pac-12 wouldn’t dare listen to anyone who proclaimed that the Trojans were uniquely wronged by the 2023 football schedule.

“Oh, you’re just a USC homer. Oh, you’re just manufacturing controversy for clicks. Oh, you’re just being difficult and standoffish when you really don’t have an argument.”

No, actually we really believe what we say. There’s nothing manufactured about this except for the Pac-12 specifically manufacturing a schedule designed to set up USC to fail. We will see if the Trojans can overcome this. It will certainly take some doing for a defense which, let’s be honest, doesn’t yet have the amount of depth needed to endure what’s coming. More transfer portal and recruiting trail additions will need to be made, especially on the defensive line and in the secondary, for USC to feel better about its 2023 prospects.

Let’s go into the reasons why claims of USC being disadvantaged are hardly overplayed:

2023 USC Trojans football schedule

The full 2023 #USC football schedule has been released. We have every opponent and every date, plus some other notes.

The Pac-12 2023 football schedule has been released, and this is the final one that will include the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins before they move to the Big Ten.

We knew, thanks to some schedule leaks in advance of the Wednesday release, that USC would visit the Oregon Ducks in Eugene on November 11, 2023. We knew that USC would get an off week in both Week 3 (September 16) and Week 13 (November 25). The Trojans, if they are able to make the Pac-12 Championship Game, would get a week of rest before that game. USC’s chief competitors for the Pac-12 title would all be playing that weekend, so the Trojans know that if they can return to the Pac-12 title game, they will likely be favored.

The obvious point of difficulty for the Trojans in their pursuit of the College Football Playoff is the fact that they have to visit Notre Dame in the middle of October. Even if USC wins that game, it will face a physical challenge in the weeks following the Notre Dame game. Utah is the week after the Notre Dame game. The depth of this team will be sorely tested from mid-October through early November.

Here is the full USC football schedule for 2023, shown below: