USC embrace chance to compete in Big Ten
The USC Trojans have begun their first season in the Big Ten Conference with something to prove and a bit of a chip on their shoulder. While their level of competition rises, the team views this as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
They checked all the boxes during their first test of the season, beating LSU in a highly entertaining 27–20 game at Allegiant Stadium. After taking down one of the top teams in the SEC, they look more than ready to contend for a title in their new conference this year.
The Big Ten is known for power, while the Pac-12 Conference was more historically associated with finesse. There will certainly be an adjustment period for the Trojans, facing teams bigger teams like Michigan and Notre Dame, but they have been preparing for this reality all offseason.
USC linebacker Mason Cobb (13) makes a tackle on a San Jose State runner during a college football game played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 26, 2023. Photo credit: Sammy Saludo/News4usonline
“Going into the new conference, we knew that we had to get bigger and stronger. Coach Riley and his team did a great job along with the nutritionists, and every single guy who had a target weight hit that weight,” said new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. “The Big Ten is a bigger, more physical conference, so going into that conference, you naturally had to do that.”
USC brings an underrated group of playmakers, a revamped defense, and a Lincoln Riley system that has proven successful in multiple conferences. In five years at Oklahoma, a Riley-led team never lost more than two games in a season.
The defense already looks levels above how they did during Riley’s first two seasons in Los Angeles. The Trojans made several key stops in the fourth quarter when they desperately needed to get the offense back on the field, something that would not have happened in years past.
WHAT A WIN. 1–0.#FightOn | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/dLwiZJ1xqT
— USC Football ?? (@uscfb) September 2, 2024
“I have been through this before. When I was at Missouri, we moved from the Big 12 to the SEC. Football is football. It is what it is. The guy in front of you is the guy in front of you,” said offensive coordinator Josh Henson.
“Football is football” seems to be the theme for the Trojans as they enter this new era. At the end of the day, they are a program that has always lured in top-tier talent, and having good ball players translates to any conference, no matter the perceived skill level.
USC ranks near the top of college football recruiting year in and year out, and they are said to have the №3 class in the NCAA for 2025. They will be just fine in terms of the players they put on the field and whether or not they can compete.
“It is not necessarily that we are going against big names; these are well-known schools, but at the end of the day, it is just a new opportunity for us. We are going to go about each game and each step the same way,” said defensive back Akili Arnold.
dub scenes?? pic.twitter.com/Sraq7ArC89
— USC Football ?? (@uscfb) September 2, 2024
Since 2000, the Trojans have gone 12–3 against Big Ten teams and are 69–29–2 all-time. Even when looking at just bowl games, which come against the best teams in the conference, they are 19–11. USC is ready for the challenge, and quite frankly, it would be more surprising if they were not successful than if they were.
“I haven’t been paying attention to all the criticism, but obviously, there are expectations that are going to be held this upcoming year, and it is about just going out there and doing it,” said defensive lineman Nate Clifton.
They must get used to bigger linemen, run-heavy schemes, colder weather, and smash-mouth football. However, the Big Ten will also have to get used to a different level of speed and tempo that teams like USC and Oregon will bring to the conference.
“I love to hit, I love to go against bigger guys; that is a challenge for me,” said linebacker Mason Cobb. “Let’s do it.”
Top Image Caption: LAS VEGAS, NV — SEPTEMBER 01: USC Trojans running back Woody Marks (4) breaks free for a run during the Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic game between the LSU Tigers and the USC Trojans on September 1, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)