USC Football: 4 Games the Trojans Must Win in 2012

While teams are just beginning spring practices, we're already looking forward to the regular season. Sure, it is still a good six months away, but it's never too early to think about everything that comes with college football and the games that actually matter.

For USC, they are one of the overwhelming favorites to win the national championship. They return 16 starters, including nine on the offensive side of the ball that averaged nearly 36 points per game. The Trojans also have a favorable schedule, and many wouldn't be surprised if they actually accomplished their goals and ran the table with such a talented team. 

But like everything in sports, nothing comes easy, and there are going to be must-win games for the Trojans if they want to accomplish their goals. Here are four games in which USC must be victorious in order to win the Pac-12 and reach the national championship.

At Stanford

This is the must-win game for the Trojans because it's an early test traveling on the road to take on the Cardinal.

Now, Stanford may not have Andrew Luck anymore, but they do return 14 starters, including eight on the defensive side of the ball. They also recruited extremely well. The talent is still there for this team, and they could make things difficult for the Trojans.

Not to mention that Stanford has won four of the last five meetings, so I'm sure that's something USC will like to change this year. 

At Washington

This game may be ugly, because we haven't seen Washington play any type of defense whatsoever. But we have seen quarterback Keith Price go off and show potential of being a possible Heisman candidate. When your offense averages over 33 points per game, you have a chance to beat anybody, regardless of the opponent.

This is a game the Trojans can't afford to overlook, especially with it taking place in CenturyLink Field, where stranger things have happened.

Vs. Oregon

We all knew this game was going to be here, as Oregon is arguably the toughest opponent on this cupcake of a schedule. The Ducks are one of the few teams that can keep up offensively, and they return eight starters from a solid defensive unit. 

Hopefully we'll get a great game like we had last season, but if the Trojans would like a shot at the national championship, it'd be wise if they were on the winning end when it's all said and done. This is by far the biggest game of the season for both teams.

Vs. Notre Dame

While Notre Dame may not quite be the team they were several years ago, they are one of the more talented teams the Trojans will face this season. They're also returning 15 starters, including eight on offense. And with this being a rivalry game, they simply can't overlook this matchup despite the talent advantage USC may have over them.

With this also being the last game of the season, USC can't afford a loss, because it will affect their chances of reaching the national championship game.