FOOTBALL

Game Day! Here’s My Complete Take On USC And Season Prediction!

OK, here’s what I have to say about USC in 2026. I spoke to Ryan Holt on The Rational Hour podcast and gave him my views of the team, weak spots, strengths and my season prediction. I also spoke to him about the importance of No. 55 and gave him my thoughts on today’s game.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Feel free to add your own season win-total prediction in the comments section.

62 thoughts on “Game Day! Here’s My Complete Take On USC And Season Prediction!”

  1. I would like to say 10-2 —-but—I think Scott is probably right: 9-3….

    #…Which,GivenThisSchedule,IsPrettyPhuckingGood

    [btw, Fun analysis, Scott].

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      1. KAM: Who would have thought the standards for USC football would have fallen so far that we would be hoping for 9-3 in Riley Coyote’s 5th year as head coach?

        DON: In 2022 he promised SC would be competing for championships… but we didn’t know he meant the California Championship.

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      2. It means we beat some of the best teams in the nation since we play way more than 3 of those —- Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA [which will also be in the 9-3 range]…..

        #…WhichJustMightGetUsToTheBigTenTitleGame

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      5. Buddha, the seasons since 2008 have worn me out. Sadly, my standards have dropped. Everything is relative, so yes, I would be ready to grill some more dry aged ribeyes if USC goes 10-2.

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      6. These days, 10-2 can get you to the playoffs. Sadly, USC won’t be 10-2 or even 9-3, 4 to 5 loss season coming up this year.

        Liked by 2 people

  2. — Just to be ornery, but nearly every game SC plays you know, the opponent is going to want Trojan blood. So 5-7 is a possibility

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  3. DON: The Carrot Years spoiled SC fans, not only did Carrot win but he did it with style

    KAM: SC hadn’t won a championship in 25 long years until he came around. And now there is another 20 year gap

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      2. KAM: Nerd Steven Sample was the one who came up with the idea to replace American applicants with foreign students and turn SC into Peking U West.

        DON: We have been cursed with a succession of pinhead lib presidents ever since.

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  4. DON: I don’t get excited until the games begin, and today they begin

    KAM: –I’m still not totally into it quite yet. Maybe Fresno St will get the old motor running again

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  5. KAM: Still, these SC and San Jose St players must be besides themselves with every emotion imaginable including fear

    DON: And the first time they walk through the ancient Coliseum Tunnel, at first all dark, and then it opens up to the right to a dazzling light.

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      1. 55-10. [If we don’t send in the third team in the 4th quarter —which could prevent me from becoming a billionaire]….

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  9. KAM: That Trojan mascot with the cartoonish big smile indicating he likes everybody, does take some getting used to

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  10. TIREBITER SAYS ESPN SAYS SAN JOSE ST HAS A 2% CHANCE OF WINNING. Or as ‘Dumb-and-Dumber might exclaim, “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

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      2. Ha! [Actually it takes their winning percentage down to as low as minus one percent….

        #…whichIsNeverAGoodThing]….

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  11. KAM: The problem with teams being so heavily favored is that it takes the drama out of it, you know, the win-or-lose drama

    DON: It’s only the close games that we talk about years later except for 1966’s 51-0 drubbing by ND

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      1. I was at the Palisades Farmers Market the next day. Neuheisel was walking around totally shell-shocked. His wife literally had to point in which direction to walk. I had on a USC t-shirt, he saw it, stared blankly, then looked away.

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      2. Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back Department:

        I wonder if you were the cause of Neuheisel’s departure from coaching…

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  12. DON: So there is no SC-Notre Dame game this year. Maybe it is just as well for SC because they would undoubtedly be underdogs even at home.

    KAM: SC only wins 1 out of 3 games at ND and half the games at SC. Part of the charm for Trojans’ fans is that the Trojans lose so often to the Irish it makes the victories all the sweeter

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    1. KAM: Now we know how Bruin fans like Cowardly Gabby feel when SC dominates UCLA year after year for almost a century.

      DON; I bet UCLA’s AD also wishes UCLA could drop the annual USC series.

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  13. KAM: Wiley is wound up over the season, he says it took him 4-years to rebuild SC but the school is now prepared to begin a run

    DON: The Trojans are relying heavily on their incoming freshmen with 1/4 of the top spots taken by them. Maybe these newbies are so good that they don’t need much seasoning

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  14. nice work, wolfman, despite my recent betrayal, the only point of contention i have with your podcast comments is that “9-3 does not make the playoffs.” it depends on what 3 games they lose, e.g. if they beat two of the three big teams (OR, OSU, IN) and have two losses to say WI and UCLA, i think they still make playoffs. rationale is last year 4 teams in CFP had three losses and one had 4 losses. the tough schedule plays in their favor in this scenario. if they lose to all three big teams, then it’s no playoffs. four losses (my pick) sends them to their perennial Holiday Bowl appearance!

    #SanDiegoOrBust

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    1. Charlie —it’s possible even the best teams in the Big Ten will share our 9-3 record —it’s also possible that 9-3 could get us into the Big Ten Championship game…and our 9-3 could grow to 10-3…..and an automatic place in the playoffs to boot.

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      1. That’s me, Charlie Bucket aka The Trojan Killer. Don’t be a weirdo, we got too many around here already!

        #I’mNotLikeDonald

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  16. SJSU is a rising star amongst CA universities – by far the class of the Cal State system and harder to get into than some UCs. Obviously being in the best job market in the world is a big plus also shared by formerly mediocre Santa Clara. The campus is surrounded by dispensaries and craft breweries – a super fun game day scene. USC will smoke them but having lived there for almost 2 decades I have a soft spot for the Spartans.

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    1. They were moving in the first half before their coach called some horrible plays…delayed runs against superior athletes in defense??? Are you kidding me? You got to hit the line quick against superior def line, not give them time to shed blocks. Really amateur hour, killed their momentum.

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  21. the vaunted trOJies were outplayed and outscored 26-14 in 2nd half!! and this to a scrappy lil QB playing his 3rd ever start and first against Div 1 opponent!!

    guess they won’t be carrying Patterson or Lil’ Lord Riley off the field after this one!! further amusing since everyone knows Riley likes to run it up again designated patsies!! i can hear him now: “we paid $1.5 mil for this??? we couldda just played the Rudys!!”

    #BigsStepBackwards

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