Bright future awaits for USC must navigate tough Big Ten slate

The future is looking bright for USC. In order to get there, however, 2025 needs to be a good one for the Trojans. Forecasting and previewing matchups during the closing stages of May can be fun, and there are many worthy discussions to have. At the end of the day, when kickoff comes, whatever the pregame chatter and talking heads have insisted on flies out the window.

It may, from the onset, look like a favorable schedule. Certainly the season total over/under of 7.5 seems achievable enough. This is a funny game, however. Things happen in college football that are always initially unforeseen.

This is a large reason why it does not make too much sense to prematurely credit wins for the Trojans, particularly against Big Ten opponents.

A loss against Missouri State and Georgia Southern would certainly still be a tremendous shock, and the difficult conversations would start happening early in Los Angeles. The likelihood of coach Clay Helton exacting his form of revenge against USC two games into the season does remain improbable.

Looking past there, the road immediately becomes noticeably steeper.

With a road trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, and an ensuing matchup at home against Michigan State, they will then travel to Illinois and welcome Michigan.

At that point the Trojans will be six games into the season. USC being 6-0 then is certainly possible. Their being undefeated by the time the currently highly debated Notre Dame game happens in October cannot be an assumed starting basis, though.

Particularly after how the regular season ended at .500 last year, USC needs to take each game as it is and give it the appropriate amount of attention each week when the season comes around.

Outlook for USC in the early stages of the year

The opening two games will have the Trojans significantly favored. Those are opportunities for USC to work on any internal areas of concern and prepare for what will be, once again, a grueling BIG campaign.

In terms of what it means for Trojan fans right now. Looking ahead can be a part of college fandom. When the season begins, part of watching this USC program return to present-day CFB prominence means enjoying the journey to get there.

It may not have been the same since the days of coach Pete Carroll. Regardless of who is on the schedule or when, each win is a significant building block, and each loss means a greater opportunity to learn and get back on track. 

What coach Lincoln Riley is building at USC is working. It will be far from easy, and there is not too much room for any assumed easy victories along the way. The Trojans, however, are built for the upcoming challenges that lie ahead.