USC Football: 2015 Game-by-Game Schedule Predictions

USC is favored to win not just the Pac-12 South Division, but also the entire conference in 2015 based on a vote of the league's media members last month. The Trojans won the South in 2011, but because of NCAA sanctions, they weren't eligible for the postseason and thus haven't won a conference title since 2008.

An overabundance of talent is at coach Steve Sarkisian's disposal this year, both in terms of returning veterans such as fifth-year senior quarterback Cody Kessler and junior linebacker Su'a Cravens as well as rising stars like receiver Juju Smith and multiway threat Adoree' Jackson—not to mention the fruits of a stellar 2015 recruiting class that includes cornerback Iman Marshall.

But last year's team was also wildly talented, as evidenced by USC having six players taken in the NFL draft (including two first-rounders), but that team stubbed its toe four times during the regular season and ended up in a three-way tie for second place in the South.

What will happen this time around? Follow along as we take a game-by-game look at the 2015 schedule, predicting each result.

Sept. 5 vs. Arkansas State

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USC opens its season with the first of two home games against Sun Belt opponents, led by an Arkansas State team that's managed to have good success the last few years despite near-constant coaching turnover.

The Red Wolves will come into the Los Angeles Coliseum with a coach who is not in his first year with the program for the first time since 2010, as Blake Anderson wasn't snatched up by a bigger program like Bryan Harsin (to Boise State), Gus Malzahn (Auburn) and Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss) were before him.

Anderson piloted Arkansas State to a 7-6 record that included a loss to Toledo in the GoDaddy Bowl. Fourteen starters return, including dual-threat quarterback Fredi Knighten, a senior who had 4,056 yards of total offense and accounted for 36 touchdowns last season. Knighten had three 300-yard passing games and topped 80 rushing yards on four occasions.

One of USC's losses last season came to a team led by a mobile passer, Boston College's Tyler Murphy, who ran for 191 yards on 13 carries. The Trojans seemed caught off guard by what Murphy was able to do, especially after having put forth such a strong defensive effort the week before in a win at Stanford.

Don't expect similar confusion for this game, since USC will have had all offseason to prepare for Knighten and the Wolves.

Prediction: USC 41, Arkansas State 16

Record: 1-0 (0-0 Pac-12)

Sept. 12 vs. Idaho

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Idaho has been one of the worst FBS programs over the past four seasons, winning five games in that span with three consecutive one-win performances. The Vandals spent one of those years as an independent after the Western Athletic Conference dissolved, and now as a member of the Sun Belt they still have to make many long road trips.

Last year Idaho made a 2,700-mile trip to open the season at Florida only to have the game postponed by lightning and then later canceled. This year the Vandals visit the state of Alabama three times, twice for Sun Belt games and also a trip to Auburn.

USC is 8-0 all-time against Idaho, the last meeting coming in 2007 when it breezed to a 38-10 win. This game could be even easier, assuming the Trojans don't allow the Vandals to put together the game of their lives and end a 22-game road losing streak.

Prediction: USC 54, Idaho 10

Record: 2-0 (0-0 Pac-12)

Sept. 19 vs. Stanford

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USC's conference opener for the third time in four years, Stanford should be 2-0 when it shows up at the Coliseum but will have been tested far more than the Trojans. The Cardinal open at Northwestern then host a dangerous UCF team, games that will allow them to see if the offense that struggled in the red zone so much in 2014 has improved while also gauging how the retooled defense is looking.

Stanford dipped to 8-5 last year after winning 46 games over the previous four seasons, and now it's replacing most of a defense that ranked third in yards allowed in 2014. The Cardinal held USC to 291 yards last September in Palo Alto, but the Trojans still managed a 13-10 win thanks to great defense of their own.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Kevin Hogan is the biggest problem for USC to worry about. He threw for 285 yards on 22-of-30 passing last year, but despite leading Stanford inside the 30-yard line eight times, he couldn't generate more than 10 points.

"The red zone turned into the dead zone," Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News wrote.

This road win in 2014 was, at the time, looked at as a huge momentum builder for USC. But then the Trojans laid an egg a week later in a loss to Boston College, starting a trend of up-and-down results for the year.

A third straight home game to open this season should have the Trojans clicking on all cylinders by the end of the homestand.

Prediction: USC 28, Stanford 17

Record: 3-0 (1-0 Pac-12)

Sept. 26 at Arizona State

USC only lost one game at home last season, and that came to Arizona State. And what a painful defeat it was.

The Trojans allowed 20 points in the final 3:53, the last six coming on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Mike Bercovici to Jaelen Strong as time expired. The play technically counts as a Hail Mary, but the video above shows that USC looked completely discombobulated as it dropped back to defend the play.

According to Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News, USC's players were initially told to line up in a Hail Mary defense, but then some were told to switch to a more traditional formation.

"Not everyone was on the same page," safety Gerald Bowman told Wolf. "I don't think every got the change."

That wasn't USC's only problem, as it was shredded by Bercovici in just his second career start. He threw for 510 yards and five touchdowns, a performance that helped him lock up the full-time starting job for 2015.

ASU won 10 games last season and brings back 15 starters, including senior D.J. Foster who moves from running back to receiver. The Sun Devils also return much of an aggressive defense that sacked Cody Kessler three times a year ago.

Sun Devil Stadium is the site of one of USC's most infamous defeats in recent memory, the 62-41 drubbing by ASU in September 2013 that led to Lane Kiffin's firing later that night. A loss here wouldn't put Steve Sarkisian on the hot seat, but it would resume talk of whether he can win big games and lead the Trojans to a conference or national title.

Prediction: Arizona State 37, USC 33

Record: 3-1 (1-1 Pac-12)

Oct. 8 vs. Washington

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Following a tough loss at Arizona State, USC will get its lone bye week of 2015. It'll use that extra time to tweak some things that went wrong the last time out and get them right in time for the start of eight straight weeks of action.

Play will resume with a Thursday night visit from Washington, Steve Sarkisian's former team. He ran the Huskies' program from 2009-13 and won 35 games, but he was 2-2 against his future program.

Now under the guidance of ex-Boise State coach Chris Petersen, Washington went 8-6 last season and headed into this year very thin on experience. And that was before it lost two-way star John Ross for the year because of an injury in spring ball and knee problems forced veteran offensive lineman Dexter Charles to retire.

Washington will also be coming off a bye and will have played at Boise State and also hosted Utah State and California, so it could be anywhere from 1-3 to 4-0. It will be outmatched in this game, which could end up being USC's easiest Pac-12 game of the year.

Prediction: USC 38, Washington 14

Record: 4-1 (2-1 Pac-12)

Oct. 17 at Notre Dame

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USC will get an extra two days to prepare for a tough midseason road trip to Notre Dame. The biannual visit to South Bend has proved to be one of the toughest games on the schedule each time out for the Trojans, and it will be much more difficult than when these teams played last November in Los Angeles.

A spiraling Notre Dame team was blown out by USC last year, falling 49-14 in a game that wasn't even that close. Cody Kessler threw six touchdown passes, and the Trojans racked up 577 yards to bounce back from a loss at UCLA the week before.

Malik Zaire has taken over at quarterback for the Fighting Irish, and this was the game last year that he got his feet wet by throwing for 170 yards on 9-of-20 passing. He also ran for a touchdown against USC, and at this point in 2015 he should be fully adjusted to the offense and serving as the primary weapon.

USC lost in South Bend in 2012, ending a five-game win streak in Notre Dame Stadium, but this will start a new run and give the Trojans a huge boost in reputation just weeks before the first playoff standings are revealed.

Prediction: USC 30, Notre Dame 24

Record: 5-1 (2-1 Pac-12)

Oct. 24 vs. Utah

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USC lost at Utah last October, a game that saw the Utes score the go-ahead touchdown with eight seconds left. The Trojans only had 364 yards of offense but were aided by a 100-yard kickoff return score by Adoree' Jackson and held the lead for most of the fourth quarter after Cody Kessler connected with Darreus Rogers to go up 21-17.

The Trojans did a relatively good job dealing with Utah workhorse running back Devontae Booker, who ran for 102 yards and a 24-yard TD run but needed 26 carries to get that production. Mistakes were what mattered the most, as Kessler threw one of his five interceptions of 2014 in that game, and Utah's first score came on a 53-yard fumble return after Rogers was stripped just 33 seconds into the first quarter.

Utah won nine games in 2014 but is still getting overlooked, picked by the media to finish fifth in the Pac-12 South, so this ends up being a trap game in between the emotional win at Notre Dame and what will be a difficult test on Halloween at California.

But because of how last year's game went, don't expect the Trojans to overlook the Utes.

Prediction: USC 30, Utah 20

Record: 6-1 (3-1 Pac-12)

Oct. 31 at California

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If there's a place on USC's schedule where it has the potential to lose a game it shouldn't, it's with this Halloween visit to Berkeley to face California. The Trojans have won the last 11 straight in the series, including a 62-28 victory two years ago at Memorial Stadium (when Cal went 1-11), but last year they nearly blew a huge lead at home against the Golden Bears.

USC led 31-2 late in the first half and held a 38-16 advantage midway through the fourth quarter before Cal scored two quick touchdowns and then nearly recovered an onside kick with about 90 seconds left.

Last year's Cal team was dangerous, but because of a horrible defense—it ranked 124th out of 128 FBS teams in overall yards allowed and dead last against the pass—the Bears couldn't win more than five games. As SB Nation's Bill Connelly noted when previewing Cal in July, if the defense "can dim the glow of opposing offenses just a little," it will be a very tough out.

Cal quarterback Jared Goff will probably throw for more than 500 yards, but USC will manage to escape a wildly entertaining but also scary (for Trojans fans) shootout.

Prediction: USC 51, California 45

Record: 7-1 (4-1 Pac-12)

Nov. 7 vs. Arizona

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One of USC's biggest wins last season came against the team that ended up winning the Pac-12 South, that being Arizona. A week after the Wildcats shocked eventual national title game participant Oregon on the road, they returned home full of confidence only to see the Trojans pull out a 28-26 victory.

Steve Sarkisian's icing of Arizona kicker Casey Skowron in the final moments paid off, as Skowron ended up missing a 36-yard field goal. 

But what really helped USC in that game was a stout game plan to thwart Arizona's run attack. It held the Wildcats to a season-low 77 yards, while USC's Javorius Allen had 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns of his own.

USC hasn't lost to Arizona at home since 2009, with the 2013 victory at the Coliseum coming at the beginning of an odd run of poor outings by the Wildcats on natural grass. In head coach Rich Rodriguez's three seasons, Arizona is 1-8 when not playing on artificial turf.

Make that 1-9.

Prediction: USC 34, Arizona 27

Record: 8-1 (5-1 Pac-12)

Nov. 13 at Colorado

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It's a quick turnaround for the Trojans after holding off Arizona at home, as six days later they'll be in Boulder to play the Pac-12's worst team in Colorado. The Buffaloes have lost all nine meetings with USC and enter the 2015 season with an 11-game conference losing streak that very likely will have reached 17 by this point.

Colorado was a non-threat last year when it played USC in LA, losing 56-28, but the Buffaloes did have a lot of close losses in 2014. They have a strong pass-catching combo in quarterback Sefo Liufau and receiver Nelson Spruce, but that's about it.

This game will be Colorado's Super Bowl (other than the opener against in-state rival Colorado State in Denver), and both the team and the Folsom Field crowd should be pumped for it. But emotions alone won't get it done, and unless USC is paying too much attention to its final two games—against Oregon and UCLA—it won't have too much trouble here.

Prediction: USC 43, Colorado 21

Record: 9-1 (6-1 Pac-12)

Nov. 21 at Oregon

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Oregon and USC have skipped each other the past two seasons, which kept us from being blessed with a marquee quarterback matchup between Cody Kessler and Marcus Mariota. Kessler now gets his shot against the Ducks and in treacherous Autzen Stadium no less, but it won't be against the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner since he's now in the NFL.

Instead the Ducks will send out either junior Jeff Lockie or graduate transfer Vernon Adams, who announced months ago he was coming over from FCS Eastern Washington but didn't join the program until Aug. 14 after passing one final summer class.

Let's assume that by the time Oregon and USC play in November, Adams has worked his way into the starting job and is showing off the dual-threat skills that helped him run roughshod over Oregon State in 2013 and Washington last September.

Having a mobile Adams added to a Ducks offense that has plenty of others weapons just makes this already-tough game even tougher. Add in the fact that this could be a preview of the Pac-12 title game (as well as a potential elimination game for playoff consideration), and this will be the Trojans' biggest matchup of the season to this point.

Oregon likely will have lost at Michigan State in the second week of the season and will be trying to fight its way back into the playoff picture. An Oct. 29 game at Arizona State could go either way for the Ducks, but they might also be 9-1 for this one.

Prediction: Oregon 40, USC 34

Record: 9-2 (6-2 Pac-12)

Nov. 28 vs. UCLA

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The loss at Oregon may knock USC out of the running for a semifinal bid, but it won't eliminate the Trojans from getting a chance at a rematch. The Pac-12 South race likely won't be decided until the final week of the regular season, and the UCLA-USC game has the potential to determine the winner.

UCLA will have been on relative cruise control after a tough early start to the conference slate, losing at Arizona but then knocking off Arizona State at home and squeaking out a road victory against Stanford. Then comes a soft stretch where the Bruins will play—and beat—California, Colorado, Oregon State (on the road) and Washington State.

Both teams will be coming off tough road games, with UCLA having won at Utah the week before. Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen, who ends up starting every game for the Bruins this season, will be tasked with trying to extend UCLA's three-game win streak over the Trojans and give his team a second South Division title in four years.

But USC will rattle the young passer, and its own quarterback, Cody Kessler, will have a monster game en route to a win over the crosstown rivals that throws the South standings into turmoil. As many as four teams could end with two losses in conference play, leaving it up to a long list of tiebreakers to determine who plays Oregon in the Pac-12 title game a week later.

Prediction: USC 33, UCLA 27

Record: 10-2 (7-2 Pac-12)

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.