Utah is the first high-end Pac-12 opponent USC will face this year. The Trojans’ first several Pac-12 foes should be relatively manageable, with the possible exception of Colorado on September 30. USC should be able to work its way into the flow of the season. When October 21 arrives, USC gets into the teeth of its Pac-12 schedule when it hosts Utah in Los Angeles.
USC plays Utah, Washington, and Oregon in a four-week span from October 21 through November 11. The Trojans have to be ready for that gauntlet. If they go 2-1 in those three games, they should make the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Let’s check in on Utah, which trailed for most of the day but rallied late to beat Baylor, 20-13. Here are the salient points to make about the Utes, mixed in with some reactions from the contest as it unfolded in Waco, Texas: