USC Schedule: Biggest test for Trojans is still UCLA finale

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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No other spot on the USC schedule matters more than their finale versus the UCLA Bruins.

Alright, so knowing how much rivalries factor into LA sports, it’s easy to see why the UCLA-USC college football rivalry gets so much attention. Always scheduled as the last game of their respective regular seasons, this time around has much more weight and meaning to it than previous clashes.

Sam Darnold will be leading the Trojans on a campaign that could end with him holding the Heisman Trophy. If the Trojans are fortunate enough to go unbeaten up until the game versus the Bruins, a win for UCLA could thwart USC’s push for the college football playoff.

Add to that the reputation and future career of Josh Rosen being on the line, and there isn’t really more reasons you should need to be excited for the game. It’s worth the wait until the tail end of the season to see what both of these teams have up their sleeves.

However, if USC is able to pass by the Bruins, it would be the only way they’d probably want to enter the playoff part of the season. Plus, overcoming their close rivals would fire them up even more. But how they do leading into the final game matters as well.

In any case, this is going to be one of the more anticipated games between the two schools in recent memory. Especially when you consider that Josh Rosen may be on a comeback tear all his own in an effort to restore his image as the next best thing at quarterback.

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All in all, the Trojans know the historical significance of their rivalry with UCLA and what it means when they’re ranked as one of the top four teams in the preseason. The target will be on their back all season long, but nothing changes about how much they love to win, love the rivalry, and love to come off that field victorious.