2014 USC Football Schedule: First Look and Break Down

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The final pieces to the puzzle are now in place as the 2014 USC football schedule was released on Wednesday.  Trojan fans may have known who their opponents were, but with dates now set, travel arrangements can be made.

RELATED: Full 2014 USC Football Schedule

The 2014 season kicks off on Aug. 30 with a rematch against Fresno State, who the Trojans soundly defeated in the Las Vegas Bowl.  The Bulldogs figure to be a much different team in 2014 with quarterback Derek Carr moving on.

On top of being under a new coach in Steve Sarkisian, with the recent departures of several NFL Draft eligible players, it turns out the Trojans will look markedly different as well.

As was the case in 2013, Pac-12 play begins the second week of the season for the Trojans.  However, this time it’s on the road as they will travel to Palo Alto, Calif. to face Stanford on Sept. 6.

The Trojans’ last trip to Palo Alto in 2012 was similarly early in the season and it was a game where the Trojans struggled to do much of anything in the 21-14 loss.

The third week of the season marks the Trojans’ first out of conference road game as they complete the home-and-home series with Boston College on Sept. 13.

After playing three games in the first three weeks of the season, the Trojans will get a bye before returning to the field with a home date against Oregon State on Sept. 27.

Pac-12 play resumes on Oct. 4 as the Trojans will seek revenge against Arizona State.

On the heels of facing one Arizona school, the Trojans will then travel to Tucson, Ariz. to play Arizona on Oct. 11.  Rich Rodriguez has the Wildcats trending upward and a trip to the desert could be a tricky proposition at about the midway point of the season.

The Trojans will have a brief moment to enjoy the California weather as they play Colorado on Oct. 18 before it’s back on the road for a pair of cold-weather games.

The first stop will be on Oct. 25 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then it’s up to the Palouse for a date with Washington State on Nov. 1.

The Trojans will get an opportunity to thaw themselves as they get their second bye week of the season on Nov. 8, and will then begin preparations to face Cal for another Thursday home game on Nov. 13.

A trip to play crosstown rival UCLA comes calling on Nov. 22, and it is a game which the Trojans will have an extra day or two to prepare for.

Closing out the 2014 regular season is a home game with Notre Dame on Nov. 29.  It will be just the second time in the last five years that the Trojans don’t conclude their season against the Bruins.

Should the Trojans qualify for the Pac-12 title game, it is back to being played on a Friday with this year’s rendition set for Dec. 6.