SCliff Notes: Time to Get Back To Business and More USC Football News

Can’t get enough of the USC Trojans? We’ve got your morning dose of all the best content from around the web concerning the men of Troy.

1st & 10:

Back to business… It’s been two weeks since USC last took the field and even longer since Trojan fans were able to really enjoy it.

Bye weeks are tricky things. You can see their usefulness, especially following a loss. But mostly they’re just frustrating. It sucks to think back to the last game and have mostly bad memories and a whole lot of unanswered questions.

Tomorrow we get answers, whether we’ll like them or not.

Can USC get the running game going again? Could Buck Allen possible repeat last year’s performance? Can Cody Kessler stand up to the test of Oregon State’s secondary?

Can Hayes Pullard and the defense redeem their embarrassing showing against BC? Can Su’a Cravens and the secondary keep Sean Mannion from having his way?

Will Steve Sarkisian avoid the missteps that did in his predecessor?

Enough with the waiting, time to get back to business.

In Other News…

• We’ve got five things to watch for during the game on Saturday, notably (and hopefully) improved efficiency from the Trojan defense and offense on first and second down respectively. (Reign Of Troy)
• If you’re chomping at the bit to hear about how USC is “chomping at the bit” to play after the bye week, Steve Sarkisian’s Thursday presser is for you. (Ripsit Blog)
• One player rearing to get back to it is Buck Allen. Kyle Kensing detailed his rise to the top spot on the Trojan roster as he prepares to face the team which started it all. (Bleacher Report)
• Max Meyer talked to Gina Mizell of The Oregonian about the match up for an opposing perspective on tomorrow’s game. (Neon Tommy)
• Michael Lev examined USC’s struggles on first down and the emphasis on fixing the problem this week. He’s also got some news on Aundrey Walker who could see an increased role this week on the offensive line. (OC Register)
• Garry Paskwietz has some notes on USC’s upcoming weekend including the visitors making their way to the Coliseum for recruiting. (ESPN)
• Though the 7:30 p.m. kick off will keep fans out later than they might like, it’s also a chance for some of USC’s new players to experience football under the Coliseum lights for the first time, as Noah Camarena reports. (Daily Trojan)
• Jack Follman gave out some early grades for the Pac-12 teams with USC getting a B- for the rollercoaster season thus far. (Pacific Takes)
• In other ranking news, Jeff Bell stacked up the freshman class performances in the first month of the season and, no surprise, USC’s gets top billing. (Bleacher Report)
• In #USCtoNFL news, Matt Cassel’s season is done for the Vikings after he fractured bones in his foot. (Conquest Chronicles)

Stat of the Day:

Oregon State is the fourth of six teams with a winning record in 2013 that USC will face to start the season. Only three other teams in college football can claim the same tough opening run.

Tweets of the Day: