Big Ten football won’t come with scheduled success for USC, UCLA in debut season
Ben Bolch (LA Times) — USC and UCLA won’t be able to ease their way into the Big Ten.
The football schedules for their debut 2024 season, announced by the conference Thursday, include a heavy sprinkling of traditional powers.
USC will face Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin at a time when it presumably will no longer have Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, gone to try his luck in the NFL.
UCLA gets Michigan and Ohio State during a season in which it will also play at Louisiana State, ending all jokes about the ease of the Bruins’ recent schedules that included Football Championship Subdivision opponents.
Game dates and order of opponents were not announced. UCLA’s first Big Ten schedule will include Ohio State, Northwestern, Nebraska, Minnesota and USC at the Rose Bowl in addition to road games against Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Rutgers.
The football program is very much focused on the 2023 season and making it a great one,” UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said. “That said, it’s exciting to see the future conference matchups fans will get to experience at the Rose Bowl.”
USC’s 2024 conference schedule includes Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois at the Coliseum plus road games against Penn State, Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern and UCLA.
The Trojans and Bruins have another common opponent — LSU — in 2024. Though UCLA will travel to Baton Rouge to face the Tigers, USC will play them in a neutral-site game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
It’s a good thing the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams starting with the 2024 season because even top Big Ten teams are likely to lose at least a handful of games given these demanding schedules. The upside is that the strength-of-schedule factor could conceivably help the conference land three or more teams in the CFP.
As expected, the Trojans and Bruins will log plenty of frequent flier miles. Excluding its trip to the Rose Bowl, USC’s four other conference road games in 2024 will require trips of more than 2,000 miles.
UCLA’s closest road conference game that season will be in Iowa City, Iowa, some 1,796 miles from Los Angeles. The Bruins will also schlep roughly 2,751 miles to face Rutgers after having flown to Hawaii for a nonconference game. They might want to budget for a jet lag specialist.
No Big Ten team will have to make two trips to Los Angeles in a season as part of the schedules released for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The idea of the scheduling model was to preserve matchups important to Big Ten fans, conference commissioner Tony Petitti said during an interview on the Big Ten Network. With the additions of the L.A. schools, Petitti said, he wanted teams to rotate through more opponents with increased frequency; each Big Ten team is guaranteed to play one another at least once every two years.
The Big Ten’s divisions will be eliminated starting in 2024 and teams will have up to three protected rivals they play each season, though Penn State will have none. Not surprisingly, USC and UCLA will be each other’s only protected rivals.
As part of a so-called flex protect-plus scheduling model, teams will play three opponents home and away in 2024 and 2025. In addition to UCLA, USC will play Penn State and Wisconsin each of those seasons, and the Bruins play Nebraska and Rutgers.
The Trojans don’t catch any breaks as part of their 2025 conference schedule given they play Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State. UCLA will play Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State as part of its 2025 Big Ten schedule. Also on the Bruins’ schedule in 2025: a home game against two-time defending national champion Georgia.
By then, big-time success will require UCLA and USC to knock off a parade of heavyweights as part of their new conference alignment.
latimes.com
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For all the criticism Folt has sure shown herself to be supportive of Trojan athletics, and especially football. The new facility plans look awesome.
The best I can say about chairman/president foltie is what Reagan said about the Russian commies: “trust but verify.”
She authorized USC’s $110 mil contract for LR.
I’ll always cut her some slack for getting with the Program and truly taking USC football seriously.
This new football facility, as well as all the other work and plans in progress, is just amazingly impressive.
UCLA looks like a “bystander” compared to USC lately.
Ucla always has and always will merely trail in the wake of the Trojans.
No choice … USC football is a huge money maker to piss around like they have post Pete is assine
Do you think McCutcheon going to the portal was instigated by LR to make room for the plethora of CB’s interested in coming to USC?
Yes and no. I don’t think it was about incoming players, but I do think LR let him know where he is on the depth chart and that’s what prompted the move. In my opinion it looks like Roland Wallace, Ceyair, Covington, and Domani are all above him. Not many reps for 3rd team guy.
Is there a drawback to the excitement USC has generated since Lincoln Riley accepted the head coaching job? After figuring out that going to two home games this season would cost a family of four $1,000 for tickets, (end zone cheap seats) we decided to cut back on entertainment. Sorry Disneyland once a year is good enough. We simply can’t miss the game because of a ten fold jump in cost of seats (since we first started buying tickets) I am sure the Hollywood Bowl will excuse us from watching a movie accompanied by a full orchestra. It’s not like… Read more »
Rialto, The price of entertainment has risen drastically (and SC football is entertainment) over the last decade. When I lived in Orange County about 8 years ago, I took six of us (me, wife, one son, his wife and two grandkids) to Disneyland (both parks). As I recall, the day for both parks (rides, food, parking) was north of $1,000. The park was very crowded, the lines were long, and the food was only OK. Never went back. My guess is prices have only increased since then. SC is now big time entertainment in the entertainment capital of the world.… Read more »
Me and 2 other guys( all in Midwest ) went in together for season tickets … no brainer
Top247 TE Walter Matthews commits to USC, credits Lincoln Riley The Trojans beat out Florida among others for the Peach State product. Steve Wiltfong (247Sports) — Hiram (Ga.) High Top247 tight end Walter Matthews (6-7, 255; No. 7 TE, No. 90 overall) tells 247Sports he has committed to USC. Matthews is commit No. 10 for HC Lincoln Riley and the staff in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Trojans are now ranked No. 16 by 247Sports and are the highest ranked program with only 10 2024 commits. The four-star chose the Trojans in particular over UF, SO CAR, and many others including MIA, ND,… Read more »
The B1G came out with their 24-25 pairings a the perfect time for USC. I do believe it rekindled the excitement about going B1G and has in my perception greatly influenced the recruiting going on this June. I can see USC with a top 10 class for 24 without a top rated QB in the class.
Pac-12 could have media rights deal by end of June, Washington State president says Stewart Mandel (The Athletic) — Washington State president Kirk Schulz expects to have resolution on the Pac-12’s next TV deal “by the end of the month,” he said at a WSU board of regents meeting Friday. He also gave a rare public hint at what the dollar figure might be. “At least the projections (AD) Pat Chun and I and others have seen,” said Schulz, “I’m not sure that it will be a lot larger than we saw in the past, (and) it shouldn’t be smaller than… Read more »
Just read that Oral Roberts baseball beat Oregon at Oregon. To be honest, I have learned to dislike Oregon so much that I enjoyed the result. One of the things I love about SC leaving the PAC is I do not care if the PAC’s baseball standing took a hit.
Chip Kelly could save his job by mustering 3 wins out of that 2024 schedule!
Rock, Funny! For those who do not know, UCLA’s 2024 schedule opens at Hawaii (a sure win), followed by Fresno State at the Rose Bowl (a very tough game), followed by playing LSU in Baton Rouge (a sure loss). Bruins could easily be 1-2. The rest of the schedule is at Indiana (winnable), Rutgers (winnable), at Iowa (most likely a loss), at Michigan ( a sure loss). Bruins will be lucky to be 2-2. At home: MN (winnable), NW (very winnable), NE (winnable) Ohio State (sure loss) and SC (rivalry game – I am biased and think SC is going… Read more »
Excellent breakdown. I think you are right across the board on this. I could see the Bruins having trouble at that Rutgers game, though. That’s a long flight, with a lost day of practice. I think 3-9 is the more likely scenario!
They will drub Iowa unless blatant home job
Funny thing … Big 10 frauds like Iowa and Penn St will see a two win UCLA team thinking and saying they suck.The wonder how Chip put 40 on them beating their asses.
To scout, offer and land the out of state players we
have is a testament to the work the recruiting dept. is doing.
I’d love to read/see story on the current dept. We see the✌, yet
so much goes to get that player/family signing to play.
Fight On to all the staff who do our recruiting
Petero, The move to the B1G was pure genius. First, it made SC a ton of money, which means it now has the means to compete with the elite. Without this move, SC would have been a huge disadvantage finanically to other elite programs in the B1G and the SEC. Second, it moved SC from what is clearly now a 2nd rate conference to a 1st rate conference, which hugely increases SC profile, future AND connections. A resurgent SC would have been a threat to both the B1G and the SEC. The PAC was never going to protect SC –… Read more »
Yes I thought when the move was announced it was pure genius.
That genius keeps on giving.
For me, this time of year, I’d like to hear more behind the brilliance
of Annie Hanson and her staff. The “Jimmy and JoAnne’s”
Like to hear more about the logistics of Mega recruiting week ends. We see success that comes from them.
One is coming up next week, would be great to see a story about the staff.
More than a few recruits/families from last week mentioned the excitement of getting to finally meet Annie Hanson. #CultureBuilding
I don’t think the quality or volume of recruits from California has significantly dropped. What did happen was a decade of ineptitude by USC has caused most of the top recruits to leave the state. California was always a poor producer for lineman.
LR is returning to the PC philosophy of keep the best talent home (remember the days where we would keep 6 of the top 10 California players?) and then hand pick around the nation. The advantage LR has over PC is the transfer portal which he is managing magnificently.
Keeping the top Calif. athletes at home was PCs #1priority. And there really are enough top quality linemen in Calif. but you have to build a relationship with them early and you have to make linemen every bit the priority you make skilled athletes in going after them. If you don’t show this in your recruiting then your linemen athletes will figure they are not important enough in that program. That is a big mistake the previous coaching staffs have made and it shows doesn’t it. Or in The Cat’s case, just recruiting the easiest wannabes he could.
Agree with you 100%. What Stanford is doing is very sad. The school has a proud tradition going back to Pop Warner and some great players. My Mom went to High School (Glendale, CA) with Frankie Albert who became the first “Modern T Formation” Quarterback in college football at Stanford. He was a short, left-handed player who was very good a faking handoffs. Defenses had no idea what to do with a QB under Center. Frankie went on to play for the 49ers and had a good pro career. Then came John Brodie, Jim Plunkett, John Elway and Andrew Luck.… Read more »
I know for a fact it is totally the choice of the administration to limit or better yet kill football. A bunch of progressives that only care about their agenda priorities and have deaf ears to even their alumni. A group of thecwealthiervonesxwere willing to help financially if you can believe that (even though Stanford has a war chest that is probably right behind Harvard & Yale) you have mean spirited angry administrators determined to turn Stanford into their own private domain of ignorance outside their own beliefs. Actually they are thrilled the PAC is having this insurmountable difficulty in… Read more »
Jamaica, You NAILED it. Never thought about the impact on the PAC continuing of having Stanford, Cal and candidly UW in it. Those institutions have little in common with Utah, ASU or AZ. I am certain the B1G has Woke institutions, but all of them are committed to elite football. In fact, football is a part of the culture of each school. Removing it is simply unthinkable. As an aside, I cannot imagine sending a kid to Stanford for an undergraduate degree. The only undergraduate degree that is a huge advantage is computer science; if a kid can get into… Read more »
What ‘Furd is going through with the admin turning football into an after thought or even to eliminate it (because toxic masculinity) should be a cautionary tale to SC people. Little foltie would be totally onboard with kicking football to the curb.
ATL, I think what we are seeing is SC is simply following the lead of the other “elites”. I think the most effective ways for common folk like you and I to oppose it are to to cease all financial contributions to the Woke “social justice” universities, to support cutting the federal government subsidies of higher education, to support removal of all DEI and Title IX adminstrators, and to support “truth seeking” universities. Not all schools are like SC and the other “elites” – one of my grandkids goes to Arkansas and it is very much still in the “truth… Read more »
Colin Cowherd On “Culture”
“Culture’s a bunch of hooey if you don’t have speed and athleticism.”
You need all three AND quality coaching. The Cat proved that beyond any reasonable doubt. SC had the best speed and athleticism on the West Coast (we had more 5 stars than the rest of the PAC combined) and combined it with lousy culture and lousy coaching and we got Clayball – mediocrity on the field, were not competitive with major programs, would pull off an upset now and again, but consistent top 50 performance with top 10 talent and totally noncompetitive with top 15 teams.
“clayball”—sounds like a dirt clod or maybe a turd. or a combo of both. what an apt description of the cat’s mismanagement.
Cowherd will have to add to that culture now to include “the big uglies”. That will be paramount or your team will be decimated with injuries.
A thing I have a HUNCH about with this up-and-coming season .Quietly LR and Caleb ……….I suspect ………….Have A REAL HUNGER for one particular goal ( of a few goals for this season I imagine) LR and Caleb want …..Want to step on the field where the Pac-12 Championship game is being played with the thought/belief in their minds “This Time the outcome will …………..be ……..different “! ……….Fight On !
Who are you most looking forward to see play in the LA Coliseum 2024?
Go Blue, by far. Then comes WIS, followed by IOWA, and lastly ILL.
USC holds a 6-4 record against the Wolverines, but the series may be best remembered for Charles White’s blatant 2nd Q phantom TD in the 1979 Rose Bowl, won by the Trojans 17-10. At least that’s how MICH fans legitimately bark about that game.
The chance to blow up JH’s “Deal” then every other game that comes… not to mention that little road trip to LV to give BK a thrashing
Mich, Wisc, Iowa, then Ill. But excited for all.
Eli Newby — Cheshire Academy, CT, 2024 | 6’3″ 210lbs | OLB/ATH | Football & Track |100m 10.66 | high jump 6’8”| 3.6 GPA, over 25 offers
It’s amazing how well USC is doing recruiting all over the country. Nobody is recruiting better than USC is right now on an out-of-state basis as I see it.
USC now has 2024 commitments from the states of Connecticut, Oregon, Georgia, Florida, Texas and Colorado. And it’s only early June and far away USC is already flat out stealing recruits from PSU. USC’s move to the B1G has clearly expanded our horizons, though USC has always been a national recruiter.
10.6! Not too many players around that run like that. In Grinch defense he could be a great nickel, which is more like a safety / LB hybrid. Stacking athletes never hurts.
Bobby Bowden’s FSU teams during its heydays had prototype strong safeties as LBs and they caused havoc to offenses trying to find open space. They were flying to the ball all game long.
B1G Football … Life after football is being show cased in a manner that is really reaching the families.. Anthony Lucas was Eli’s host😎 Word is Eli is now 6’4 and frame has a lot of space to grow. track speed Plus high jump says a lot about his athletic talent
Finally getting back to where Pete had us where he could go into these other parts of the country and have a real chance at pulling these kids in.
All it took was PC & “O” walking into any home and the decision was over. But PC knew what he was looking for in what the athlete & parents had to say. He could walk out that door and say we will write this athlete off our want list.
We are boldly going where no USC team has gone before! What an adventure
Watched last night a YouTube on all the B1G stadiums and their history…cool
Curious to learn in coming months how the other sports will be scheduled.
USC’s gonna need some big brains on its behalf to put all this together in a competitive and fair manner. Such a seemingly monumental task because of travel. Like you, I think one of the best aspects of USC’s move will be the opportunity for all of us Trojan fans to become much more familiar with B1G programs who care more about football, and show up in the stands to show their support. The Coliseum will be looking a lot more packed in the future. This could all work to the detriment of the lackluster UCLA fan base. UCLA’s attendance… Read more »
It’s so fringing exciting! B1G teams nearly every week in Coli… Then playing before 115K fans in Mich. or our first ‘White Out’… Smaller stadiums that seat 50K will be sold out in historic classic fields, all exciting. Basketball will be must watch as well… Then our other teams, all will get my attention. ONLY sport not moving ‘yet’ will be my beloved USC WBVB.. yet the NCAA tourney will move in a couple years to the beach roots of Manhattan Beach.. UCLA football will be an experiment to continue to follow. They will have Ohio St., Michigan and USC… Read more »
I’ve been to 2 ucla games, both early September, one against Nebraska and one against Tennessee. Both visiting teams had at least a 55/45 fan advantage, and both won, much to my pleasure.
From what I have read over the years 90% of College Football writers that work for The AP (Associated Press ) have said that they value “Strength of Schedule” more than most other things ….Well Now I hope that really is the truth ………… Fight On !
Out of the (seems like THOUSANDS ) comments made about this move to the BIG 10 . I heard/read One particular comment made about it that rang the Most Truth to me ……….(And I believe Lincoln Riley was the on who said it) >>>>> “The Day Of the undefeated season IS OVER ! “………. As Always Fight On !!!!!!!!!!
Except for this year. We’re going undefeated, CW will cement his legacy as best QB is college football history. It’s going to happen!
Chris, I like your spirit, but think it is a very tall order. The last 6 games are going to be an extremely challenging group to play, followed by a very challenging Pac Championship game. Going 12-0 is a very tall order. But, if anyone can pull it off, it will be a CW lead team.
I think this 2023 season we are going to see USC football mature with each game, something that didn’t much happen last season. These players will be ready for the gaunlet the last half of the season and get better every week. Health could be an issue, but it is for all teams toward seasons end.
Tidbit of the Day
USC’s impressive winning 75-30-3 (.696) performance against the B1G is just slightly less dominant than USC’s all-time Pac-12 mark of 482-202-29 (.710).
I’m all for a tough schedule. Who wants to see Georgia Southern, Nevada, and some other directional school. Sooner rather than later, the big conferences will break off from NCAA and will only play each other anyway.
So true. Who wants to see USC play SJS, NEV, GS, et al. We (at least me) live for the big games against the big brands in front of the big crowds and TV audiences. I know that can’t happen every week, but the more the merrier. I’d rather not win the NC but play a challenging schedule and lose more than we would if we were like ALA, playing way too many schools that have no business being on the same field. Schedules and travel are going to be tougher for everyone. That’s the direction we’re heading in CFB… Read more »
I think the Coliseum will sell out for all B1G home games. In fact, I am expecting the Coliseum to sell out for many games this year just to witness CW in person.
I was trying to be positive about the future of buying tickets for the home games and mentioned that the 24 home opponents were a tough group, but USC had beaten each of them before. But my daughter quipped, “yeah, but not all in the same year.”
I am not sure the schedule is any tougher than in years past, except driving to CAL is a lot easier than driving to Maryland. Fortunately non of the B1G games will be on the PAC 12 channel
Due to the expanded playoff schedule I suspect USC will still have a good chance to make the playoffs. As far as travel…..I’am disappointed the big 10 did not ask Stanford, Cal, Washington and Oregon to join. It would have softened the travel a bit. Personally, I think the years USC travels to south bend will be years called a bridge too far. So they ought to be dropped. In 24 USC will be playing in my opinion 8 to 9 teams as good or better than Utah. I don’t believe this is going to end up well. If USC… Read more »
I wonder if ND is concerned at all that USC will view its #1 rivalry (at least in my mind) as expendable now that USC is a B1G school? ND also considers USC is greatest rival by most accounts. We have beaten ND more than any other school — 38 times.
I’d sure like to be a fly on the wall out there in the Irish athletic dept offices.
I agree……ND may lose one of their premier games. They must be worried. I know (living in Indiana) that the folks here view that game as the topper to their schedule most years……but ND needs to understand this is not the old days. USC will have lots of premier matchups now at distance in the midwest and east. Recruiting in the midwest and east is going to be enhanced. We don’t need them. They need us. So….ND….get with the future and join the big 10…..where you belong…..stop with the…..we’re so great that nobody deserves us stuff. NBC will do just… Read more »
We’re sure in interesting times.
The Trojans and Irish first played in 1926 and ND won 13-12. The following year, Notre Dame and USC would play a memorable game at Soldier Field in Chicago, a slim 7–6 Irish victory, before an estimated 120,000 fans.
USC captain/QB Morley Drury (nicknamed “The Noblest Trojan of Them All”) carries the ball against Notre Dame at Soldier Field in Chicago on Nov. 27, 1927.
Illinois, Great observation about the 2024 schedule – SC playing 8 or 9 Utahs. But, this year we are playing five games like that: Utah (duh!), ND, Washington, Oregon, and UCLA. Next year we get at least 8 of them (LSU, ND, MI, WI, Iowa, Ill, Penn State & UCLA). Obviously, LSU was set before the move to the B1G. Really interesting to see how that plays out – in the past, SC always played one of the toughest schedule in the nation. We are going to need a ton of quality depth on O and D and an elite… Read more »
Thanks for the comments. As you know, CPC in particular, always stated that he wanted a tough schedule. He had a tough opening matchup most years in addition to ND……but he also knew he had dependable feather bed opponents like Wa St, Cal, Or St etc waiting for us……and as you know…..those teams were particularly bad during those years, hardly better than Mater Dei.
Hopefully, once we start playing out east our natural superior characteristics like weather, academics etc will gain us some advantages regarding recruiting some big tough mean farm boys to pair with our superior skill players.
Call me bitter, but I don’t want any of the universities in the B1G. They all cheered on the corrupt ncaa when they came after USC. They all refused USC an extra share even though metrics proved USC deserved it. The minute USC left both Wash and Oregon both claimed they deserved an extra share of the proceeds. They can all wither away in the dying PAC.
Utah wasn’t part of the PAC when that was going on so I wouldn’t mind them joining. Their style of football would match well in the B1G.
Knute and Howie from above lounging in their Rocking chairs, enjoying three fingers of Angels Envy. Knute smiles toward Howie and whispers
“Let The Games Begin”
Being such an exclusive and time-intensive bourbon, Angel’s Envy Bourbon is produced in extremely limited quantities. Bacardi Limited produces no more than 8,000 bottles per year, which qualifies this bourbon to be among some of the most scarce bourbons available.
good stuff, that AE
SC brings that conference a billion dollars and do not get the same treatment as Michigan and OhioSt … playing a tough schedule does nothing for you in college football. You just catch shit. SC plays 3 rivals in 15 days, wi 2 and run out of gas vs Utah and just get crucified.
Damn right Saban is laughing.
With 2 wins
So SC has to play Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan, State Penn, Wisconsin in 2024.
That noise you hear is Nick Saben laughing his ass off. sc
Who cares what Nick Saban, the crybaby, thinks?
He never met a cupcake he wouldn’t schedule or an issue he wouldn’t bitch about, and now poor old ‘Bama has comparative NIL problems that’ll probably last forever. ‘Bama’s reign is coming to a close, and if Saban isn’t careful, he’ll never beat GA and Kirby Smart again.
The days of SC waltzing thought the pac conference , beating notre dame, and getting a slow fat big ten team hung over with Lawry’s prime rim and chalking up another natty are over. SC was always anyone, anytime, anyplace for one of those out of conference games. Loved that. But with the portal and teams unable to have any depth, longer seasons, this schedule is just freaking nuts. Say SC gets through that gauntlet at 10 and 2 and then gets to play in the conference championship game. Then has to win 2 playoff games? Potentially 15 games with… Read more »
It’s just one perfect storm, ridiculous year. Big deal. I’d rather play a super tough schedule against big brands and let the chips fall. USC is at the center of the CFB universe again. No complaints from me. Since we all knew the move to the B1G would clearly be a tough challenge, especially early, no sense worrying now. It’s a little late for that. It had to be done for the long term especially, and I’d much rather be USC and UCLA than the remnants of the cut-down Pac-12, fighting it out to see who gets to go to… Read more »
fair enough. LSU was scheduled before SC joined the big. Neutral site game on the same plastic grass that tore up Caleb’s hamstring. I know I am in the minority here, but don’t see a reason to keep Notre Dame on the schedule anymore. Always have to be 10 points better to win in that dump south bend. They had their chance and still have their chance to join the big conference. Or they can play SC in a bowl game if they want. I am 100 percent for joining the BIG . The pac conference was no friend to… Read more »
It will be fun. Loads of it. Lots of uncertainty. Lots of potential pitfalls. It should be wild. Can’t wait. But as they say, no guts, no glory. I’m proud (and very relieved) that USC has chosen to take the harder road, which could lead to glory. Of course, that means beating ND in South Bend this year. I think we are 13 points better, because of Caleb, already the greatest QB to ever play at USC and he’s only been here one year. I don’t think the Irish will ever join a conference. But I love playing those guys.… Read more »
I hope we continue to play ND every year too. Not just for tradition, but each year we go after many of the same recruits. What better way to get them than to beat ND on the field.
I think it helps USC recruiting to play ND. I suspect that factor will dwindle some in importance with our new B1G membership, but playing in South Bend every other year will still ring a bell for some recruits IMO.
Notre Dame can get lost … we have enough trips to Midwest/East now
F them, times have changed.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1596701302049775617
Just maybe the moment he locked up the HT!
What a play, huh? Loved the calls by Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler too.
Such a fantastic, perfect photo. Enlarge for proper effect.
Should have won a Pulitzer.
SC, Give it time. My guess is you are right. But, we will not know for a couple of years. My guess is SC playing 2 of MI, Ohio State, and Penn State every year will more than compensate for the SC/ND game. And, there is no way SC is going to schedule another tough OOC game like LSU again (just makes no sense) if it continues to schedule ND. But, only time will tell.
Giving up the Notre Dame game is an interesting, almost unacceptable concept for me. But comments on the TDB lead me to believe I value the ND rivalry a lot more than some of my fellow Trojans. Such is life. It’s easy to take such a storied rivalry for granted. But you take it away, and suddenly the annual game that brings more memories my way than any other is completely erased, except for maybe in the bowls. ND definitely helped put USC on the football map big-time by scheduling the Trojans in 1926. That may seem irrelevant now, but… Read more »
I’m on the fence with this one, after all, it was the great ’74 comeback blowout game that made me a Trojan lifer. But reading the new ND AD’s attitude about independence and him perpetuating their self-perceived uniqueness and greatness, I would like to see our next AD at least engage in some light but intentional public mind games by suggesting during a meaningful press conference that SC would consider all sceduling options that benefit “USC first and foremost” in the new CFB landscape. I do believe now that SC is in the B1G, ND needs our game more than… Read more »
Realistically the days of P5 having real meaning died when USC (ucla tagging along) announced they were going to the B1G. There are only 2 main conferences now. The other 3 are no where near the same level.
But the fight for survival by the other conferences will still be interesting to watch. It’s likely that some programs outside the two big ones will still find a way to carve an important nitch in the game. Just how that’s going to eventually work out is anyone’s guess. It’s always about the dollars (nod to Casino, a great movie).
It is definitely about the dollars. And the decide between the media contracts with the B1G and the SEC compared to everyone else will only continue to grow.
With you Allen. I hope to keep ND.
Could always make Stanford an out of conference game (as long as they still have football). That will be an easy game.
Would just give them a great TV audience. Let them rot. Will be fun to watch them twist in the wind trying to figure out what to do in the new world of CFB. Maybe play them once every 3-4 years just to remind them We Are SC.
On second thought, I’m probably going to miss the Cardinal. Confusing.
Have an ex-coworker in Canada who is an alum from Stanford. It is the one time each year that we connect. So that game has a little extra incentive for me.
He must be pissed. Some of my STAN friends sure are.
He is not happy at all.
With this schedule I would feel much better with PC leading the team because he knew how important defense was. And he could make incredible adjustments at halftime and shut down the other team. I am excited LR is here to run the program but he has to prove his team can play hard nosed defense in addition to his great offense. He is showing he can recruit defensive side athletes. But the jury will be out until USC football plays as physical as anyone in the Country. Offense alone will not put USC in the playoff with offense trying… Read more »
USC’S defense will be vastly improved. Last year’s Trojan D had the worst talent I have ever seen on a USC defense since 1962. Yet it seems like a lot of Trojans truly feel like USC is doomed to have yet another crappy defense in 2023, as though LR was supposed to fix all of USC’s massive problems in one single year. I don’t quite understand all the pessimism. It’s as though people think LR (universally viewed as a top 5 college coach in the country) is somehow singularly incapable of fielding a strong defense, regardless of the athletes he… Read more »
Allen, the 2022 D will be interesting to watch, particularly over the last six games (which are a great warm up for 2024). . LR’s position on the 2022 D is exactly what you post above. There were some talented players, but not many of them. When they wore down or got injured, the drop off was so huge that the D faded badly. I agree with it but also think opposing O’s figured Grinch out and Grinch simply lacked the ability to change. LR addressed both issues by (1) significantly upgrading the D talent and (2) hiring Grinch a… Read more »
It’s not that we disagree with your optimism. It’s we want to see it first before we rubber stamp a LR team win a nattie
I’ve always been curious why people doubt LR, just because he hasn’t won it all yet, even though he’s only 39, practically a baby in the head coaching ranks. I doubt there’s ever been any CFB HC who has had more success than LR at that age. I may be wrong with that, but I’m not far off. It’s so obvious to me that LR’s an awesome football coach that I’ve already rubber-stamped him. I don’t worry about his ability to field a defense good enough to get USC a title. You need a little luck and better overall talent… Read more »
Prepare to hear the Nick Saban retirement announcement in less than two years.
I have some close friends in central PA. I’ve already got my tickets lined out for the game at Penn St. The trash talk has already started. They are talking white out game and beating us by 20. Can’t wait!
Ha, they’re still bitter over their last trip to the Rose Bowl…
That was a doozy. We’ve all seen some great USC Rose Bowl wins. Sam Darnold in 2017 was so cool. But it still bugs me that Matt Boermeester got shoved out of USC so improperly, and unfairly IMO.