USC Football: Five Things You Might (Not) See at the Spring Game

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, it is time for the only football you will see until August.

But I urge to keep your expectations low. You can only do so much while playing each other. Its not exactly fair when the defense already knows all your plays in advance.

Then again, there is a reason why they have already labeled USC a national champion contender. The individual talent warrants the attention.

So what can you actually expect from Saturday's exhibition? Take a look and find out.

A Dominant Defense

Generally speaking, the defense usually has a bit of an advantage in scrimmage situations. But on Tuesday, the USC defense forced four turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

The "boys" who were the worst defense in the country in 2009 have turned into men under the watchful eyes of Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron. With All-American T.J. McDonald leading the way, expect to see a lot of ball-hawking and speed in the secondary.

Considering you won't be seeing much of Matt Barkley or Robert Woods, expect a better game from the defense than the offense on Saturday.

Cody Kessler vs. Max Wittek

Most of this game will be part of the on-going evaluation of the two possible heirs to Matt Barkley’s throne. The coaches will mix up the personnel so no one gunslinger gets better targets than the other. They will take stats and notes on who carries himself well in the huddle and in the pocket.

And they will probably turn out to be just about even.

There will probably be no conclusive evidence as to which young pup is ready to be the leader of the pack just yet, but Cody Kessler and Max Wittek will get some darn good practice in, and the fans can see that their future rests in capable hands.

Coaching Barkley

The poor guy has been a little bored this spring, and the final spring game usually isn't any different from the previous month of practice.

Barkley will  throw a few nice spirals for all the folks who paid a few bucks to get in to see the Heisman hopeful, but he probably won't play beyond the first half. Most of his duties will involve helping Kessler and Wittek run the show.

Who knows? Barkley might find another job waiting in the coaching business after his playing days are over.

Run, Moody, Run

Curtis "Moody" McNeal finally has the luxury of coming into the spring with no distractions and the title of starting tailback.

After struggling with attitude, discipline and grades, McNeal is now a model student-athlete and one of Lane Kiffin's success stories. Without off-the-field distractions, he's been able to make real progress this spring and is one of only three healthy scholarship running backs.

Expect to see McNeal for a decent amount of time on Saturday, and be prepared to cheer him on all the way to the end zone. No guy on that field deserves it more.

A Lot of Extra Fans (Kind Of)

Los Angeles is a difficult city in which to be a long-standing sports franchise. If a team isn't winning, there are plenty of other things to keep fans occupied. You either entertain Hollywood’s backyard or fail to do so at your own peril.

Expect a few thousand more fans than previous years who are trying to get a glimpse at the national title contenders for less than half the price. But don't expect the Coliseum to sell out; this isn't the South or the Midwest. There are beaches to sunbathe at and $18 salads to eat at hipster cafes.