Heisman Trophy 2012: USC Trojans QB Matt Barkley Is the Early Favorite

The USC Trojans are expected to return 19 starters to the field when they kickoff the 2012 season hosting the Hawai'i Warriors inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 1.

Bovada sports book has installed Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley as the early betting favorite at odds of 7/2 to walk away with the Heisman Trophy.

The three-year starter managed to set a Pac-12 Conference record in throwing for 39 touchdown passes during the 2011 campaign, while finishing with 3,528 passing yards.

Barkley figures to be in line for a huge opening game when facing a Warriors secondary that ranked 85th in the country in allowing 244.9 passing yards per game last year.

He will have one of the best receiving duos in college football at his disposal, with Marqise Lee and Robert Woods putting fear into the eyes of opposing secondaries from the opening snap.

They combined to set a school record with 2,435 receiving yards last season, while hauling in 184 passes.

USC will open up its conference schedule in Week 3 with revenge on its mind, traveling up north to take on the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto, California.

The Trojans ended up on the losing end of a thrilling 56-48 triple-overtime contest against the Cardinal as 7.5-point home underdogs a year ago.

Barkley hooked up in a quarterback duel with Cardinal signal-caller Andrew Luck inside the Coliseum on October 29, as the two combined for 614 passing yards and six touchdown passes.

Luck will likely be taken with the first pick in next month's NFL draft, which clears the path for an expected 3-0 start for the Trojans to start this season.

I definitely expect to see this former Mater Dei High School product in New York City in December.