2020 USC football schedule released: Trojans face a tough slate

At long last, the 2020 USC football schedule has been released. The Trojans’ season is highlighted with trips against Alabama and Oregon, and a big home date with Notre Dame.

Following 13 losses in the last 26 games, Clay Helton’s program needs a lot of things to go right this year. It makes Thursday’s release of the 2020 USC football schedule a virtual checklist for what he and his players could call a road to redemption. It won’t be easy.

A la 2016, the Trojans start at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., where they’ll face Nick Saban’s vaunted Alabama dynasty. The Crimson Tide will be USC’s most daunting obstacle of the season, although a trip to Eugene isn’t far behind.

The Trojans will look for revenge against the defending Pac-12 and Rose Bowl champion Oregon Ducks on November 7 at Autzen Stadium. It is the second of two 2020 matchups against teams who finished in the final Top 10 poll of the 2019 season.

Other notable games include the annual home opener at the Coliseum against New Mexico on September 12, followed by the traditional early season weekender on September 19 against in-state rival Stanford in Palo Alto.

The Pac-12 South could be on the line a number of times, including against Arizona State at the Coliseum on September 26, at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday, October 2 or in the conference finale against UCLA at the Rose Bowl on November 21. Utah marks the only weekday game for USC in 2020.

Last year’s toughest road games came against Washington and Notre Dame, two schools who will come to the Coliseum in 2020 on November 14 and November 28, respectively.

USC’s bye week comes in Week 8 this year, sandwiched between a trip to Tucson to play Arizona, and a home game with Colorado.

Here’s a look at the full schedule, as released Thursday by the Pac-12:

2020 USC Football Schedule

If all goes to plan for the Trojans, the year could finish in a new place. The 2020 season marks the first time the Pac-12 Championship Game will be held in Las Vegas.

The Raiders’ new Allegiant Stadium will play host to the annual title fest, along with hosting a souped-up Vegas Bowl in December.