IMHO Sunday: 2023 Trojans are ready, but are USC fans?
In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles:
Getting ready: We know that the No. 6 USC Trojans have been working hard and preparing for a serious run for a Pac-12 conference and CFP national championship. We are now less than a week away from the 2023 season opener against the San Jose State Spartans in the Coliseum, and one major question remains: Is the USC fan base ready to rise to the occasion and match the intensity and enthusiasm of Lincoln Riley’s team? Sources say there are plenty of Coli tickets available for both this week’s San Jose State game and the following week against Nevada.
Getting ready – Part 2: From an offensive standpoint, it appears all the pieces seem to be in place to make this season’s Trojans arguably the best in the country, so help me, Caleb Williams. Defensively, there is a positive vibe that the nightmare memory of last season’s performance is giving way to a new collection of defenders, so help me Bear Alexander, Anthony Lucas, and Mason Cobb. The USC fanatics in the stands should be ready for a season of return to glory, but are they really ready to match the incomparable fan bases of Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, and LSU? And did we mention Notre Dame?
USC linebacker Mason Cobb walks out to a training camp practice with the Trojans.
(Photo above by Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)
Getting ready – Part 3: With an unexciting and frankly weak first half schedule, the true USC fans will need to pump up their heroes as they play teams that are not all that inspiring and appear to pose no threat to Troy’s lofty seasonal rankings. Coaches all the time tell their teams to play their game and don’t worry about the opponent. USC fans will show up in big numbers at the Coli for the likes of Utah, Washington, and UCLA, but can they bring the same maniacal enthusiasm for San Jose State, Nevada, Stanford, and Arizona? Maybe that’s just a rhetorical question.
Getting ready – Part 4: USC fan support can be very temperamental at times. Attendance couldn’t get any better than in the Pete Carroll era when the Coliseum was packed, no matter whom the Trojans played. Going to a USC game during Pete’s day in L.A. was more than a game, it was an event, which plays right into the Southern California fan base’s mentality.
When you compete for the sports dollars in Los Angeles against the likes of the Dodgers and the Lakers and the NFL, you’d better be really good and really entertaining. This season’s edition of the USC Trojans could be in that stratosphere, and Lincoln Riley is ready to go with it. Are the fans?
Fans spell out Hesiman for USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during a game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans on November 26, 2022, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.
(Photo above by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Getting ready – Part 5: We know that the Notre Dame Weekender is always well attended both in Chicago and South Bend. It figures that this season’s game in the Midwest – already a sellout at Notre Dame Stadium – could be an extra special edition, especially if the Irish can upset visiting Ohio State earlier in the season. However, will Trojans fans show up at ASU and Cal? We know that getting a ticket at Oregon will be a difficult task given the size of Autzen Stadium, the location of Eugene, and things to do unless you stay in Portland. Yet, if the team does its part, so must the true USC fans that have the capability and means of attending critical road games.
Getting ready – Part 6: Certainly, not everybody can travel to games for obvious reasons, but there is no real justification for most so-called USC fans to watch games on the tube when they are needed and can in theory attend games in the Coliseum. Not only is the nation watching but so are recruits. You can argue that when the Trojans enter into the Big Ten in 2024, the Coliseum and the added Big Ten fan base will be on hand in big numbers. After all, Southern California has the largest Big Ten fan base outside of its institution’s locale. But that conversation is for another day. It’s 2023 that counts in the present.
You can bet that when Michigan comes to the Coliseum to play the Trojans in 2024, they’ll be coming to L.A. in the thousands.
(Photo above by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)
Summation: Again, we repeat the big question – and it’s an important one: Are USC fans ready to meet the attendance capacity and support challenges of 2023? Can the Coliseum be filled (77,500) for all home games?
The prediction here is that the Trojans’ big attendance drive and extra fan support will come in the second half of the season when expected highly-ranked opponents come calling, which is not exactly going out on a limb. Can USC fans support the Trojans in big numbers before they hit the mid-October and November schedule accelerator?
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The Lincoln Riley quotebook…
USC head coach Lincoln Riley (
(Photo above by Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)
In discussing the 2023 Trojans, head coach Lincoln Riley had plenty to say when it comes to individuals and molding them into a successful team.
“There’s definitely some. I mean, all of it. It’s just, you know, all this is not like, ‘Oh, you return these couple players, so it should be this,’ like this is a whole different mix of players. Individual guys here and there, that’s great. But you’ve got to get them to coexist and to work together and to act as one, and on all three sides of the ball, that’s the fire now. The narrative is all these things return, everybody should just pick up where you left off, and that could not be further from the truth.
“Everything’s different. We’ve got so many different faces. So we’re, I think just the group coming together and learning to not just be a group of some talented guys, but be a great team that plays very well together, and we’ve got to close that gap there, and really all three sides of the ball right now.”
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From the press box…
(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: There has been some question about how well the reconstituted defense is doing as we go into San Jose State week. Regardless, given the first-half schedule, the Trojans have until Notre Dame to get it right.
Nobody asked me…but: Is it possible that true freshman inside linebacker Tackett Curtis ends up starting by the end of the season?
Could USC linebacker Tackett Curtis eventually start at inside linebacker at some point in the season?
(Photo above by Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)
Nobody asked me…but: It’s going to be fascinating to see who starts as the edge rusher when San Jose State has its first series on offense. We will also see who starts along the offensive line as well as running back.
Nobody asked me…but: I like that the Trojans are ranked No. 6 in the AP preseason poll. If they can continue to win through the first half of the season and survive the first road trip to Notre Dame, things will get pretty exciting going forward.
Nobody asked me…but: I am amused that LSU is ranked ahead of the Trojans in the AP poll. My amusement is that LSU head coach Brian Kelly is considered a defensive genius and SC’s Lincoln Riley is considered an offensive genius. However, when you get right down to it, who would you rather have at quarterback: SC’s Caleb Williams or former ASU QB transfer-turned-Tiger Jayden Daniels?
Remember when Jayden Daniels, now at No. 5 LSU, was once the starting quarterback for Arizona State?
(Photo above by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Nobody asked me…but: I know why, but I wish they’d set a kickoff time for SC’s game at Arizona State. If it’s a night game in Tempe, you can fly in Saturday morning and depart Sunday afternoon.
Nobody asked me…but: When you select an away game hotel to follow the Trojans, do you pick the hotel based on getting a free breakfast?
Nobody asked me…but: How many times did you go back for seconds and thirds for the food buffet at Friday night’s Salute to Troy?
Food was aplenty at Friday night’s Salute to Troy on campus
Nobody asked me…but: How hard will you be rooting for Ohio State to win at Notre Dame? IMHO, the best thing for the Trojans is for Ohio State to take a loss at South Bend and the Trojans beat the Irish a few weeks later.
Nobody asked me…but: I understand the logic, but I find it hard to understand how No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 Ohio State are ranked so high when they have to replace last season’s quarterbacks, both of whom are now in the NFL.
Nobody asked me…but: Is college football headed for a Premier League, which takes on a life of its own with maybe the top 28-30 college football brands? It’s coming, it’s just a matter of when.
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The post-game show…
(Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
House of travel: House of Victory, the Trojans’ NIL collective, has announced a plan that aims to ease the financial burden of travel expenses for 65 football families this season. With the Trojans heading to the Big Ten in 2024, this could be a major help to players that come to Troy from all around the country.
Parking: The cost of USC parking for home games, according to USC Game Central, is $40 per car. Does that include valet and tip?
Are you ready to pay $40 per car for parking on the Trojans’ campus?
Trivia: Who is the greatest football player that performed for San Jose State?
Band on the run: Sponsored by the OC Trojans Spirit Kickoff, the Trojans Marching Band was scheduled to be in Newport Coast on Sunday, Aug. 20, but due to inclement weather, the location of this event has been changed to The Pacific Club, 4110 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, an indoor facility. Guests will have a chance to bid on exciting auction items, including: Traveling with the band to Denver for the Colorado game; Conducting the band at the last Pac-12 game ever; visiting Traveler at his home, box tickets to a Chargers vs Cowboys game, NASCAR experience, tickets and travel to an Adele concert. Tickets may be purchased by going to the website: https://fightonline.usc.edu/s/listing/a1U5d00000HjLGX/oc-trojans-spirit-kickoff
The Will of the People: You know the No. 6 Trojans are beginning a run for a national championship when Hollywood’s A-list and former USC grad Will Ferrell is in the house or recent Coliseum scrimmage. The timing is impeccable. In case you missed Will’s return to the team….
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The Call-in Show…
Caller No. 1: Mr. Katz, will you be doing the WeAreSC Travel Guide for each game this season?
Caller No. 1, yes, it will post on Mondays during the season and any bowl games, as well.
Caller No. 2: Greg, do you have any USC home football jerseys in your collection?
Caller No. 2, I do. I have the number worn by Mark Sanchez. It is comfortable, and it isn’t overly hot to wear in the summer.
Mark Sanchez #6 and Pete Carroll
(Photo above by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Caller No. 3: Grego, I saw that UCLA has a lot of promotional giveaways on their 2023 schedule. Will USC do the same?
Caller No. 3, you got me curious, so I went over to the Bruins’ football website. They do have some giveaways, but from what I see you have to belong to certain organizations to be eligible to receive whatever they’re giving away.
Caller No. 4: G-lad, who has the most obnoxious fans in the Pac-12?
Caller No. 4, it’s not even close. It’s Oregon fans especially when they are playing in Autzen Stadium. Let me tell you something, the Big Ten fans are in for a real shock, trust me.
Autzen Stadium
(Photo above by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Caller No. 5: Coach, I love peanut butter. Where can I get the best homemade peanut butter?
Caller No. 5, no question, the best peanut butter I have ever had and still get is from Magee’s in Farmer’s Market, a tourist icon in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. https://www.mageesnuts.com/shop
The best peanut butter is at Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles
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The Last Word…
Lincoln Riley
(Photo above by © Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)
In Tuesday’s edition of Inside the Trojans’ Huddle, panelists Marc Kulkin, Erik McKinney, Chris Arledge, and Greg Katz return to a regular season Huddle format and give conversation regarding USC’s national ranking and those of its opponents, mock game week, predictions, recruiting, and viewers’ questions and panel answers.
It should be noted that there were technical issues during the Huddle broadcast, and there is nothing wrong with your media service. We are aware of the distractions and apologize for the interruptions and some clarity. Because of the issues, there were, however, some very funny exchanges as annoying as it was at times.
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