USC Trojans Football: A Look Ahead To 2011 Schedule
USC football has fared quite well thus far through the 2010 season amidst the turmoil of NCAA sanctions following the Reggie Bush investigation and the installation of new head coach Lane Kiffin following the departure of Pete Carroll to the NFL.
Matt Barkley and co. have strung together a 7-3 overall record thus far, including a 4-3 record in the Pac-10, and currently sit at 20th in the Associated Press poll.
That being said, the first year of Pac-12 play could very well be a tough one for the Trojans.
With potential NFL defections, graduations, and challenging road games looming, USC may find Year Two of the Kiffin Regime to be a bit more harrowing than Year One, even without Oregon State on the docket.
For the forward-thinking Trojan fan, here's a game-by-game look at USC's schedule in 2011.
September 3rd Vs. Minnesota
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The Trojans will open their slate of games next fall with a home date with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Of course, the Gophers aren't exactly looking so Golden these days after the firing of head coach Tim Brewster.
With next year's edition of this home-and-home series taking place at the Coliseum, expect USC to come away with a solid win over a Big Ten (Twelve?) team to ring in the 2011 season.
September 10th Vs. Utah
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USC's first game in the Pac-12 should prove to be a doosy.
The Trojans will play host to the newcomer Utah Utes, pitting two of the new conference's power schools against one another right off the bat.
With Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn set to return for his junior season, expect this game to be something of a shootout between two of the Pac-12's best arms.
September 17th Vs. Syracuse
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As the leaves turn to orange, so too will the visiting fans at the Coliseum.
Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone is set to bring his Orange to Los Angeles next September.
As laughable as that may seem to the Trojan faithful, the folks at 'SC best not take Syracuse lightly.
The surprising Orange currently sit second in the Big East, with 4-2 conference record and a legitimate shot at winning the league and playing in a BCS bowl.
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September 24th at Arizona State
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Traveler won't have to hit the road until late September, when USC heads to the desert to take on Arizona State.
This season's match-up with the Sun Devils was quite the thriller, with the Trojans building a comfortable 15-point lead into the third quarter, only to see quarterback Steven Threet and ASU rattle off 19 consecutive points before USC picked up a 2-point return and a field goal to hang on for a 34-33 win.
Anyone else tired yet?
This one could be just as wild next season, especially with the tables turning to Tempe.
October 1st Vs. Arizona
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The Trojans' 2011 schedule has them taking on teams from the Grand Canyon State in back-to-back weeks.
After dancing with the Devils, Lane Kiffin's crew will play host to Mike Stoops' Arizona Wildcats.
The outcome of this game could very well hinge on whether or not junior quarterback Nick Foles decides to return to Tucson for his senior year.
Either way, this one should be something of a cardiac affair.
October 13th at Cal
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The rivalry between USC and Cal has lost quite a bit of luster in recent years.
The Trojans did quite a bit to knock some of the sheen of this season, throttling the Bears at the Coliseum, 48-14, thanks in large part to Matt Barkley's five touchdown passes.
With next season's California contest being held on a Thursday at AT&T Park in San Francisco, perhaps this clash between NorCal and SoCal will justify the anticipation that both fan bases have for the game each year.
Or not.
October 22nd at Notre Dame
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Speaking of lopsided "rivalries", the Trojans will hit the road for the third time in four games when they travel to South Bend for their annual date with Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish have managed to tread water thus far under new head coach Brian Kelly, with a 5-5 record through 10 games.
With the 2010 edition of this game still yet to take place, it's difficult to predict how things might shake out next year.
However, if recent history is any indication, USC should have reason to celebrate after this one.
October 29th Vs. Stanford
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The streets of downtown will be filled with various shades of red when Stanford comes to town.
Just in time for Halloween.
The Trojans will close out the month of October against likely Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck and the Cardinal in what should be an exciting match-up.
If this year's barn-burner was any indication, next season's Clash of Cardinal should leave plenty of stat sheets thoroughly stuffed.
November 5th at Colorado
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The month of November will be a busy one for Tommy Trojan, and it all starts with a trip across the Rockies to Boulder, Colorado.
USC will have it's opportunity to "welcome" the Buffaloes and their yet-to-be-named new head coach to the newly minted Pac-12 to begin the stretch run toward the close of the season.
Colorado may wish it was still in the Big 12 by the time this one is over.
November 12th Vs. Washington
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Is there any team in the country more excited to see Jake Locker graduate than USC?
After back-to-back nail-biting losses to the Huskies, the Trojans will look to contain Keith Price in the U-Dub backfield rather than hang on for dear life against the hulking Locker.
This one should also be interesting to watch as yet another meeting of the minds between former co-offensive coordinators at USC, Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian.
So will the Huskies take the cake from the Coliseum yet again?
Only time will tell.
November 19th at Oregon
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Even with the new divisional alignments in the Pac-12, USC couldn't evade a late-season trip up to Eugene to take on Oregon.
With LaMichael James and Darron Thomas set to return for their junior years, the Trojans may very well be faced with another thumping at the hands of Chip Kelly's Ducks.
However, Trojan fans can take comfort in the way their team performed against Oregon in the first half of this year's contest.
If the Trojans can sustain that sort of effort on the road next November, they'll have a shot at pulling off what could be a monumental upset.
November 26th Vs. UCLA
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The more things change, the more they stay the same.
That's certainly the case when it comes to USC closing out its season against crosstown rival UCLA.
With the bowl season still out of reach, the Trojans will look to close out their 2011 schedule with a bang against the hapless Bruins.
Depending on how things pan out in Westwood next year, Lane Kiffin may very well have the opportunity to put the final nail in the coffin of Rick Neuheisel's head coaching career at UCLA.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
