USC 2012 Spring Football Schedule: Breaking Down Pre-Spring Depth Chart Battles

The USC Trojans are returning one of the most talented teams in the country and are without a doubt one of the favorites to win the BCS National Championship this season.

But that doesn't mean there aren't roster spots that need to be filled and there aren't position battles that will take place during the spring.

That's one of the main things that spring practice is about as coaches try and find out who exactly is going to play where and how much playing time they will get. USC may have fewer needs than the majority of teams out there, but there are still a few questions that need to be answered.

Here are some of the key position battles that will take place during the Trojans' spring practices.

Running Back

The Trojans had an okay running game last year and will have Curtis McNeal return, which is good news considering he rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

They also have a young backup in D.J. Morgan, who showed promise his freshman year, breaking off runs of 31, 15 and 12 yards in limited action.

But other than that, the running game is up for grabs.

Will George Farmer step up and make the complete transition from a wide receiver to more of a running back?

Javorious Allen was a big pickup in last year's recruiting class and has great hands as well. Will he get to see the field and make key contributions to this offense?

Several teams nowadays have three or four solid backs who are capable of carrying the rock—the Trojans only have two at this point.

Questions will need to be answered.

Defensive Line

The Trojans defense really stepped up last season, but there are question marks on the defensive line heading into the spring.

Three linemen that started last year are no longer on the roster, including Pac-12 sacks leader Nick Perry.

That means young players such as Greg Townsend, Kevin Greene and Devante Wilson will battle it out for a spot as starting defensive end.

Townsend is the most talented out of the three, although Wilson is extremely athletic and should earn solid playing time if he's completely recovered from the knee injury he suffered last season.

Other players who will fight for quality minutes include Devon Kennard and Charles Burks, while George Uko and Christian Heyward will compete at the defensive tackle position, if Armond Armstead continues to seek a transfer.

There are many questions on the defensive line, as you can see—spring should answer a few of them.

Quarterback

This may not be a battle that many will ever bring up, because USC has arguably the best quarterback in the country in Matt Barkley.

But the backup remains a question that many will chose to ignore because it's something the Trojans don't have to worry about just yet.

What if Barkley decided to head to the NFL draft during the offseason?

Expect young quarterbacks like Cody Kessler, Jesse Scroggins and Max Wittek to compete for the backup position.

Whoever ends up winning the job won't see much playing time, but it's important to know that you can have a quarterback you can rely on if something does happen to the Heisman hopeful.

Right and Left Tackle

USC has one of the top offensive lines in college football, but at the same time, they lost one of the top offensive linemen in Matt Kalil.

This does draw questions on the line, particularly at the offensive tackle position. 

Junior Kevin Graf, who originally played right tackle, will likely switch to left considering he has more experience. Sophomore tackle Aundrey Walker will probably play right tackle.

It's really going to be interesting to see how Graf makes the adjustment and whether they can both jell together in time for fall.

While the rest of the offensive line is solid, the tackle positions will be an area of concern until the Trojans can figure this whole thing out.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].