To build excitement for the upcoming season, I will be releasing an individual team preview for each of my top 25 teams every day from now until the season starts on Thursday night. The preview continues with #14 USC.
2013 Review
USC had three different head coaches last year, and it showed at times. After a sub par performance against Hawaii in the opener, they lost 10-7 to a decent Washington State team at home. They would bounce back with back to back wins, neither of which were very impressive, and then lost to Arizona State, giving up 62 points in the process. After splitting their next to games, beating Arizona and losing to Notre Dame, the Trojans finally started looking like the USC of the past, winning five games in a row, including a huge win over Stanford, before losing to UCLA in the last game of the year. the 9-4 record would be enough to get the Trojans into the Las Vegas Bowl where they took down Fresno State 45-20.
Season Outlook
USC now has a stable head coach along with a sure starter at quarterback, which should make USC a much more powerful force in the Pac-12 this year. They are extremely talented at every position, although they will need to stay healthy, as the NCAA sanctions are taking a huge toll on their depth. The Trojans open the season with a rematch of last years bowl game at home against Fresno State. They should win this as Fresno State lost its top players from a year ago and won't be the same in 2014. After that, they have back to back road games against Stanford and Boston college. Boston College is a game they should be able to win, although Stanford will overpower USC. They finish the first half of the season with home games against Oregon State, Arizona State, and Colorado, with one road game against Arizona. They should be able to win most of these games with maybe one loss in that stretch. The second half of the season is a little easier, with their next three games coming against Utah, Washington State, and Cal. They will have a tough finish, with their last two games being against UCLA and Notre Dame. They could very easily lose both of their final two games, which would really hurt USC's chances at a Pac-12 title.
Season Predictions
9-3 (7-2) 2nd in Pac-12 South
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