USC Football: 2013 Season Preview & Predictions

Nov 24, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Robert Woods (2), coach Lane Kiffin and receivers coach Tee Martin react during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Notre Dame defeated USC 22-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

I will bet anything that the moment the clock hit three zeroes in the fourth quarter of their 21-7 loss to Georgia Tech, a 6-7 team, in the Sun Bowl – which was the first time a losing team had ever won a post-season game – the fans, students, and particularly the alumni of the University of Southern California began to eagerly wait for 2013.

Being that the Trojans were the nation’s top ranked squad at the beginning of 2012 only to lose five out of their last six games and finish 7-6, I’m sure the “Trojan Family” was devastated.

I’m also sure that they cannot wait to get started on this upcoming season and get that nasty taste of 2012 out of their systems once and for all.

However, there is one very important thing that coach Lane Kiffin, beginning his fourth year as ‘SC’s head man, needs to do – which he hasn’t really done yet:

Name a replacement for quarterback Matt Barkley.

What Kiffin has done, announcing that the two guys who were battling to be Barkley’s successor all spring and fall, third-year sophomores Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, will both play when the Trojans kick off their 126th year of football at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu against Hawaii this Thursday, August 29th, is what he feels gives USC the best chance of winning.

I feel that’s a mistake, however, as for a football team to be most effective one guy must be named as the starting quarterback, so he can be seen as the leader if nothing else; quarterbacking by committee usually doesn’t work.

But that’s Kiffin’s decision for now.

Nov 3, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Marqise Lee (9) carries the ball against the Oregon Ducks at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Oregon defeated USC 62-51. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Regardless of who ends up under center for ‘SC, he will have a very good set of skill players at his disposal, particularly Marqise Lee, who is widely considered the nation’s top receiver as his 118 catches for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns, which includes an 83-yard scoring run, speaks for itself.

As sure as I am writing this, there’s a 99.9% chance that the junior will declare for the 2014 NFL Draft.

But surprisingly enough, Lee will not be the key to the Trojans’ success on offense.

That distinction will belong to running back Silas Redd, who will be crucial to the ground game as he gained over 900 yards and scored nine touchdowns last year after transferring from Penn State, and especially fellow wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who will be thrown the ball a lot more than people think because Lee will be double and triple-teamed by opponents all season long.

If the USC offense is to be explosive and put up points, Redd and Agholor must step up and have great years.

The biggest reason for the Trojans’ 2012 decline was their defense, which was torched by various teams during the second half of last season; you know it was bad when a losing team scores 21 points on you in a bowl game, as Georgia Tech did.

Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin – Lane’s dad – resigned in the wake of that disaster, and Clancy Pendergast has replaced him with the promise of being more aggressive.

Pendergast will have some good people to work with, particularly on the front seven as defensive linemen Morgan Breslin and Leonard Williams will lead that group.

Breslin had 13 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 2012, leading the Trojans in both categories, while Williams was just as much of a beast with his eight sacks and 13.5 TFLs.

Along with Devon Kennard, who is returning after sitting out last season with an injury, USC’s defensive line and linebackers need to be on top of their game, because questions abound in the secondary, which is talented but inexperienced.

Top freshman recruit Su’a Cravens is slated to start at free safety, while Dion Bailey was moved from linebacker to strong safety, provided that he’s well enough as he has struggled with injuries this spring.

Andre Heidari wasn’t a spectacular kicker, making ten of 16 field goal tries last year, but he’ll do.

ALL RIGHT, HERE’S HOW I SEE THE USC TROJANS’ SEASON UNFOLDING:

The best thing going for these Men of Troy is the fact that their schedule – at least the first third of it – is EASY.

‘SC will have no problem with Washington State, Boston College, and Utah State, who will all come to the Coliseum after they face Hawaii, who they likewise will have little trouble with.

Things will get a little tougher for the Cardinal-and-Gold after that, as USC will begin to face teams that can legitimately beat them such as Arizona State in Tempe at the end of September and longtime rival Notre Dame in South Bend, IN on October 19th.

Oregon State on November 1st should not be overlooked as the Trojans have had trouble in Corvallis – where this year’s game will be played – for a while, and Stanford on November 16th will be ‘SC’s toughest opponent as not only has the Cardinal pretty much owned the Trojans in recent years, they have aspirations for a BCS title.

UCLA? That’s to be determined as I need to see how things unfold with the two crosstown rivals before the week of that game, which will be at the Coliseum on November 30th.

All of this speculation leads to this season prediction from me:

November 17, 2012; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans cheerleaders run on the field before the game against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

With their early season gimme games, USC will start 2013 with an impressive record; they are certain to be 4-0 by the time they face Arizona State.

I think the Trojans may run into some bumps in the road, however, when the meat of their schedule comes up; how their new quarterback performs, whether it is Wittek or Kessler, will be the biggest factor in ‘SC’s fortunes.

As such, mostly because of those early cupcakes I see the Trojans winning eight games, with a shot at nine if the stars align just right, finishing third in the Pac-12 South with a berth in either the Sun, Kraft Fight Hunger, or Las Vegas Bowls.

I understand that with the USC faithful, anything short of a national championship is seen as a disappointment at best and a failure to most.

The Trojans are not seen as BCS contenders this year, but 2013 will be extremely important as how the Trojans do will have big implications for their future.

How that future will look at USC is up to those players and what they achieve now.