usc beat

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re still struggling with how to view USC’s 21-17 win at Nebraska. On one hand, USC gutted out a hard-earned road victory, just its second true road win outside of L.A. since 2023, with a stingy defensive stand in the second half. On the other, USC’s offense was out of sorts, its quarterback had the worst start of his tenure and its defense was run over for the third time in four games.

No matter your perspective, this much is indisputable: USC is 6-2, bowl eligible and in prime position to be 8-2 heading to Eugene in late November. Remember, the Trojans were 4-5 at this time last year.

But after flying back west for the final time this regular season, we’re going to take a brief break from football to alert you that college basketball season, believe it or not, is about to begin. And both of USC’s teams enter the season on fascinating and uncertain terms.

Let’s start first with the men’s team and Eric Musselman, who thought he’d have a five-star freshman to help springboard his program to relevance in Year 2. But the injury to Alijah Arenas has undoubtedly altered that trajectory. What we don’t know now is how much and for how long.

That’s just the beginning of the questions facing USC. Here are three others …

1. Who’s going to play point guard?

You may remember this same query from this time last season, when USC entrusted the role to Desmond Claude, who was a good playmaker, but not a great floor general. He turned the ball over nearly four times per game.

Arenas was expected to be the primary ballhandler. But with him out, it’ll be some combination of Rodney Rice, Chad Baker-Mazara, Jordan Marsh and Jerry Easter sharing ballhandling duties. None have any extensive experience as a floor general. Marsh has been a pleasant surprise in practice, but was more of a pure scorer at North Carolina Asheville.

Rice will have a lot on his shoulders already. And that’s not considering his actual shoulder, which has held him out for much of the preseason. He’ll need someone else to step up to help.

2. How much better is USC’s frontcourt?

When USC played its two exhibition games last month, opposing coaches couldn’t believe how much 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes affected the game defensively. Dynes was arguably USC’s best player in the preseason, and he wasn’t even expected to start in the Trojans’ frontcourt.

He had six blocks in his debut and should help give USC improved rim protection this season. Which is to say any rim protection at all.

The staff has been high on Jacob Cofie since he arrived on campus. Don’t be surprised if he ascends to a major role. Ezra Ausar, at 253 pounds, should be a beast on the boards, and Jaden Brownell should give USC’s frontcourt range out to the arc. This group has a lot of varied skillsets, and that should put the defense especially in a much better position.

3. Can USC score enough?

When asked what he learned most from his team during the preseason, Musselman didn’t mince words.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to score better,” he said.

Arenas, again, was supposed to lead the way in that regard. Rice was more of a secondary scorer at Maryland, as was Baker-Mazara at Auburn. USC looks, as of now, like a whole team of complementary offensive players, with no alpha yet. That can change. Maybe Cofie steps into the spot before season’s end. But it’s definitely something to monitor through the non-conference season.

What about the women’s team?

Kennedy Smith controls the ball while pressured by UConn guard Paige Bueckers during last season’s NCAA women’s tournament.

(Young Kwak / Associated Press)

USC enters this season with far lower expectations than this time last year, on account of JuJu Watkins’ knee injury, which will keep her out until next season. So what can we expect from Lindsay Gottlieb’s Trojans?

Here are the three big questions facing the USC women this season …

1. How can USC fill the void without Watkins?

This is the only question that really matters. Problem is there’s no clear answer. Gottlieb has been clear that no one player will replace Watkins, as tempting as it may be to slot top prospect Jazzy Davidson into that spot.

It’s more reasonable to recreate Watkins’ production in the aggregate. But that won’t be easy when you consider how much other production the Trojans lost from last season, in addition to Watkins. USC must replace 88% of its scoring and 80% of their rebounding output, and while that’s not that unique in the era of the transfer portal, it does mean the team is likely to have a very different identity.

Gottlieb has said that USC is going to play with more pace this season. But who will it turn to when it needs a bucket? Davidson is perhaps the likeliest candidate, but I’m particularly curious to see the development of sophomore Kennedy Smith. Smith was inconsistent offensively as a freshman. But Gottlieb plans to put the ball in her hands more, and how that works out will say a lot about the direction of the season.

2. What’s going on in the frontcourt?

Last season, there was no question who USC could count on down low. Rayah Marshall was a three-year starter, while Kiki Iriafen is now one of the best young bigs in the WNBA.

But with both gone, USC doesn’t have any proven options to step into their place. Gottlieb has said that USC will use a by-committee approach with transfer Yakiya Milton, Lithuanian import Gerda Raulusaityte and returners Vivian Iwuchukwu and Laura Williams. Of those four, only Milton was part of a college basketball rotation last season, and she only averaged two points per game in 11 minutes at Auburn.

Raulusaityte is the big unknown. One of the youngest members of the Lithuanian national team, USC kind of needs her to be an immediate contributor. Especially with her ability to stretch the floor as a shooter, something the other three don’t do. If she struggles, USC could be in trouble with its lack of talent down low.

3. How good will Davidson be right away?

Watkins is a tough act to follow as a top-rated freshman. But Davidson has the potential to be a stat-stuffing star right away.

I don’t know if she’ll score quite like Watkins, who shot 42% and scored 24 points per night as a freshman. What she will do, perhaps even more than Watkins, is elevate the games of teammates around her. You can read more about that in an upcoming story on Davidson.

But can she get a bucket when USC needs one? And can she force her way through traffic with her spindly frame? There are still questions to be answered. But while Gottlieb is doing her best to temper expectations, I think USC is going to need its star freshman to be a star right away, if it has any hope of competing in the Big Ten like it did last season.

—Jayden Maiava didn’t have it as a passer. So he used his legs. And that worked wonders. Maiava was a meager nine of 23 through the air for 135 yards, but he reminded the world that he’s a capable runner, too, as he rushed for 62 yards in 11 carries. The highlight of his day came in the third quarter, when Maiava took off on consecutive plays for a pair of 16-yard gains, the second of which saw him stiff-arm his way to a score. Maiava hasn’t looked to run much this season. But maybe he should consider doing it more.

—USC’s three most influential players Saturday were all walk-ons. Running back King Miller was USC’s only consistent source of offense. Kaylon Miller, his brother, stepped in for an injured Alani Noa and was arguably USC’s best lineman in the ground game. And USC kicker Ryon Sayeri continued to shine by knocking through two more field goals. I’m not sure what that says about USC’s team. But it’s not something you see every day.

—The offensive line just can’t stay healthy. Left tackle Elijah Paige returned after missing the previous three games, only for Noa to go down. Noa never returned, and we won’t know more about his status until at least Monday. USC is getting especially thin on the interior, with guard Micah Banuelos having also missed Saturday’s game. Center Kilian O’Connor should be back soon, but it’s a wonder that USC has held it together up front while being ravaged by injuries.

Olympic sports spotlight

After losing three of four to start their Big Ten slate, the women’s volleyball team’s tough start to the Big Ten slate is now firmly in the rearview. The Trojans have won six in a row. Among Big Ten teams, only Nebraska, which is 21-0 and No. 1 in the nation, has an active win streak that’s longer.

USC should win its next two before welcoming the Huskers to Galen Center for an epic match on Nov. 16.

In case you missed it

No. 23 USC uses late surge to win at Nebraska and keep playoff hopes alive

‘We still control our destiny.’ USC focused on rebounding after ugly Notre Dame loss

What I’m watching this week

IT: Welcome to Derry

(HBO)

I’ve written in this space before about my love of all things Stephen King. I’m also well aware of the less-than-stellar track record of adapting his books into television and movies.

I’m not sure just yet where “IT: Welcome to Derry” falls on that spectrum. Only the first two episodes of the spinoff prequel to “It” are currently available on HBO Max, and while Derry remains as creepy and tense as ever, I worry a bit about where the story is headed. All that said, my favorite part of the original book was the character building with the town’s kids. So far, that part remains intact.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where after one last rain-soaked showdown in South Bend, we pour one out for one of the great rivalries in the history of college football. After a century of meeting on the football field, USC and Notre Dame are not currently scheduled to meet again. This, by all accounts, is a terrible shame.

Outside of L.A., the college football world has placed the blame for the rivalry’s demise squarely on USC’s shoulders. Notre Dame made sure that was the case when its athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, ran to Sports Illustrated last spring, immediately after USC made an offer to renew the series for one year.

As PR moves go, it was a smart one: By firing the first missive, Bevacqua knew that Notre Dame could shape the narrative around negotiations. And ever since, as Bevacqua hoped, Notre Dame has been cast by much of the national media as valiantly attempting to save the rivalry at any cost, while USC looks like its running scared away from it.

Which is really quite ironic, if you know the recent history of how Notre Dame has handled its rivalries.

Thirteen years ago, minutes before the two schools were set to face off in South Bend, former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick famously handed then-Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon a letter as notice that Notre Dame intended to cancel the remainder of their rivalry series. It was as passive aggressive as scheduling changes get. Brandon didn’t even read the letter until after the game.

These two teams went way back, before USC even first fielded a football team. The two Midwest rivals first faced off back in 1887, when Michigan literally taught Notre Dame how to play football. (Not kidding.) Not to mention it was actually a Detroit Free Press columnist who first called Notre Dame the “Fighting Irish.” (Imagine the royalties!)

But in 2012, Notre Dame declared without any further conversation that it was backing out of the game. The reason? As part of its move to the Atlantic Coast Conference in every other sport, the Irish football program agreed to play five games against ACC schools every year.

No one at Notre Dame seemed all that concerned about history and tradition then. Swarbrick, at the time, called canceling the series “a necessary precaution,” given the future uncertainty surrounding its schedule.

Sound familiar?

Except, in this case, Notre Dame kept Purdue on its future schedule. And Michigan State. It chose to maintain its series with Navy, which had beaten the Irish just three times in the previous half-century, as well as Stanford. I wonder why.

Months later, then-Michigan coach Brady Hoke told a crowd at a booster luncheon that Notre Dame was “chickening out” of the rivalry. And he was right.

A dozen years later, Notre Dame is floating the same accusations about USC.

Except, in this case, USC has made efforts to maintain the series after moving to a much less flexible and more difficult schedule in the Big Ten. It has tried to keep the game going despite being locked into nine conference games — and with far less incentive to add strong non-conference opponents than there was in 2012. USC even amended its initial offer to extend the rivalry for multiple years, instead of just one, as a compromise.

Look, USC isn’t blameless in all of this. But no one seems to have acknowledged yet that Notre Dame hasn’t exactly helped negotiations along. It doesn’t want to move the game from October or November to September, as USC has asked — not because of tradition, as has been suggested, but purely because it’s much more convenient to Notre Dame to keep USC later in the season, when no other top programs want a team such as Notre Dame smack dab in the middle of its conference slate.

Who cares about the tradition of when the game is played, if the other option is it’s not played at all? If the Irish are so concerned about maintaining the USC rivalry, why didn’t they insist that Clemson — a team it has much less history with — play their newly signed 12-season series in mid-October?

Because Notre Dame is used to dictating the terms of engagement and getting its way. It has the flexibility of being without a conference. And it also knows it has the narrative firmly on its side. So why bother budging when the pitchforks are already pointed toward USC?

I don’t expect that to change any time soon, even as both athletic directors say they’re “optimistic” an agreement can be reached. Not unless USC is ready to capitulate. Until then, the public pressure will remain on the Trojans alone, while Notre Dame points across the bargaining table and cries chicken. Irony, be damned.

Yes … technically.

If USC wins each of its next five games to finish 10-2, you can count on the Trojans being in the 12-team field. But anything less than that, and they’re going to have a tough time making a case.

Let’s say USC only loses on the road to No. 6 Oregon from this point on. That would put the Trojans at 9-3, with just two Big Ten losses — and three overall. That’s a good season! But no team with three losses has ever made it into the Playoff, and while there’s a legitimate argument that this year will be the first, USC presumably wouldn’t have enough marquee wins to move the needle with the committee.

Michigan is currently USC’s only win over a team above .500. Nebraska, Iowa and Northwestern are all 5-2, but only one of the three has a top 25 win this season — the Huskers won their opener against No. 21 Cincinnati. The toughest test left aside from Oregon could very well be UCLA, which has won three in a row after starting 0-4.

Perhaps there’s a world where USC, with one conference loss, could end up in the Big Ten title game. But in addition to beating the Ducks, that would also require moving past either Ohio State or Indiana, neither of which have looked particularly vulnerable of late.

However you try to spin it, getting USC into the Playoff requires serious finesse. By losing to Notre Dame, the Trojans closed off the easiest path to a postseason run.

More than likely, USC’s hopes now hinge on running the table. But nothing I’ve seen recently suggests that’s a likely option. Instead, with each passing week, my 8-4 prediction is feeling just about right.

Jayden Maiava throws a pass under pressure in the second quarter against Notre Dame.

(Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

—Stop asking if Lincoln Riley is going to give up playcalling. It ain’t happening. It wasn’t that long ago that Riley’s playcalling was the main reason for his historic rise through the coaching ranks. That felt like ancient history on Saturday night, as Riley dialed up a failed trick play to star wideout Makai Lemon that ended in a game-altering fumble. Riley admitted after the game that it was “a stupid call,” which is the closest he’s come to accountability in that department. He added later that his two failed fourth-and-short calls weren’t very good either. “I’ve gotta be way better for our guys,” he said after. It’s good that he recognizes his shortcomings in this situation, but how we’ve gotten to this point, with Riley’s playcalling having a clear negative affect, I can’t quite explain. Riley has had impressive moments calling plays this season, which are easy to forget after such a bad performance. But the fact that he seems to be at his worst in the biggest moments is not the best sign for turning things around in the future. All that said, it would presumably take an intervention from one of his bosses to hand off those duties to Luke Huard. The ego hit would simply be too significant for Riley to initiate that change otherwise.

—USC struggled to protect Jayden Maiava, and it paid the price. The Trojans’ front allowed a season-high 17 pressures to Notre Dame, and Maiava completed a meager 31% of his passes and threw both of his interceptions when under pressure Saturday. The good news is that reinforcements are on the way. Starting left tackle Elijah Paige dressed for Saturday’s game, but was only available in case of emergency. Center Kilian O’Connor, meanwhile, was surprisingly listed as questionable against Notre Dame. Both should be good to go when USC takes on Nebraska in two weeks.

—USC has lost 11 straight on the road to top 25 teams, six of which came under Riley. The last win USC had against a ranked opponent on the road came in November … of 2016! And USC’s last chance this season to rectify this terrible streak will likely be in Eugene next month — a game the Trojans are, as of now, unlikely to win. That means we’re staring down the barrel of an entire decade without a win over a ranked team on the road, which is totally unacceptable for a team that sees itself as a blue blood of college football.

—After having zero rim protection a year ago, USC might have one of the best rim protectors in the Big Ten this season. Just take a look at the statline for new 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes from USC’s exhibition against Loyola Marymount. Dynes had six blocks, three of which came in his first 10 minutes of the game. Dynes also had nine points, eight rebounds and even three assists, as the USC took care of business in a 60-51 win. The Trojans shot just 33%, but showed that their defense can be a strength by holding Loyola Marymount to just 28% from the field. Dynes will be an important part of that equation and if he can contribute on offense, well … the sky could be the limit for the 7-footer.

Olympic sports spotlight

After losing four of six to start its Big Ten slate, USC’s women’s volleyball team bounced back in a big way over the past weekend, winning two critical matches on the road. The highlight of the weekend was a 3-1 win over No. 9 Wisconsin, USC’s best win yet of this season.

Redshirt freshman outside hitter London Wijay had a career performance in the win over Wisconsin, tying a career-high with 24 kills, while freshman libero Taylor Deckert tallied back-to-back 20-dig performances over the weekend. USC also handled Iowa in four sets, to bring its Big Ten record to 4-4 on the season.

In case you missed it

USC’s College Football Playoff hopes take a big hit in rain-soaked loss to Notre Dame

King and Kaylon Miller always believed they could rise from USC walk-ons to key roles

Depleted USC fined by Big Ten for playing running back listed ‘out’ on injury report

What I’m watching this week

Jason Bateman as Vince, Jude Law as Jake in “Black Rabbit.”

(Courtesy of Netflix)

The last time Jason Bateman got in with the wrong crowd on a Netflix show, one of the best shows of the last decade was born. I didn’t want to place “Ozark”-level expectations on “Black Rabbit,” Bateman’s new show on Netflix with Jude Law, but after watching the first two episodes, I can say with confidence that it’s off to just as strong of a start.

Law stars as a New York restaurateur whose life is upended when his estranged brother, played by Bateman, suddenly comes back into his life and drags him unwillingly into New York’s criminal underworld. The show’s tone is about as tense as it gets — think “The Bear” meets “Uncut Gems” — but if you’re in the mood for a thrill ride, then this show is worth your time.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re back from the bye, recharged and ready for the gauntlet ahead on USC’s schedule. Here’s hoping you had a nice relaxing weekend away that didn’t involve yelling at the television about your team’s struggling secondary.

Following that lead, we’re going to step away from the football field for this week to talk about something that every college football program could use more of these days, but never seems to get enough of:

Money.

First, let me take you back four years before the Pac-12 imploded, to when then-Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott had a big idea to save his flailing conference.

His plan? Sell off a 15% stake of the Pac-12 to a private equity firm for a reported infusion of $1 billion, which Scott hoped would be enough to help stabilize the conference. At the time, the Pac-12’s media rights deal was only providing about $30 million per school annually. A private equity investment, Scott figured, would add tens of millions to that total, helping to hopefully keep the Pac-12 afloat until the conference’s next media rights negotiation.

But the plan never came to fruition, and the Pac-12 unraveled. The reason it didn’t work then was the presidents and chancellors of the Pac-12’s member schools had no stomach for selling off a stake in their conference to a private equity firm, no matter how desperate the conference was. USC, in particular, was one of the most vocal detractors. Viewing itself as the crown jewel of the conference, it already wasn’t happy with the equal distribution of media revenue. It saw no reason, at the time, to give away more valuable equity in its brand while locking into that arrangement for a longer period.

Had Scott managed to make that deal, who knows what might have happened with the Pac-12.

But almost seven years later, private equity firms are once again swirling like vultures overhead. As first reported last week by ESPN, USC’s new conference, the Big Ten, is now seriously considering a $2-billion private equity infusion. That deal would also reportedly lock in the conference’s members through 2046, injecting at least a little stability into an especially unstable landscape.

A decision is expected in the coming weeks, and the conference is looking for consensus among schools to move forward. But USC had no interest in such a deal before. Why would that be different now?

Well, for one, college sports have gotten a lot more expensive in the wake of the House settlement. Even before adding a $20.5 million line item to its budget, USC’s athletic expenses were among the highest in the nation at $242 million, according to the most recent Department of Education data. And that figure doesn’t consider the $200-million football facility currently being built or the millions of scholarship money that needs to be raised or the $200-million budget deficit the larger university finds itself in.

A nine-figure private equity check would go a long way in soothing those financial concerns. Especially at the Big Ten’s smaller schools. But it wouldn’t solve every revenue problem in USC’s future. And it would be foolish to think that money doesn’t come with strings attached, even if the discussed deal does at least attempt to mitigate that influence.

The deal would create a separate corporate structure that would handle all things related to revenue generation within the Big Ten. That revenue would then be distributed between 20 equity stakeholders — the 18 conference schools, the league office and this private equity firm.

So the private equity firm wouldn’t own a piece of USC athletics, so much as it would own a share of the Big Ten’s business interests. That setup would then theoretically limit the investor’s control and keep private equity out of other decisions pertaining to Big Ten athletics, which had been the fear of Pac-12 presidents when the conference previously turned up its nose to such an investment.

There are still many unknowns here, most notably how the revenue would be distributed. But there’s no reason to think the conference’s biggest brands, such as USC or Michigan or Ohio State, would sign on to any deal that didn’t include distribution of that revenue that significantly favored those schools.

That appears to be the plan. But as of now, neither Michigan nor Ohio State is on board yet.

“I believe selling off Michigan’s precious public university assets would betray our responsibility to students and taxpayers,” Jordan Acker, a member of Michigan’s Board of Regents, wrote on social media.

And in this case, the buyer has an entirely different mission than the other stakeholders involved. Private equity firms exist solely to provide up-front capital in order to eliminate risk, turn a profit and then exit the marketplace. There’s no reason to think it would be different in this case. Which doesn’t exactly jibe in the marketplace that is college athletics.

So is a $100-million check worth giving away that control? For Purdue or Rutgers, probably. For USC? I’m not so sure.

USC, like Michigan and Ohio State, has yet to sign off on plans for conference-wide private equity investment and still has questions about the potential deal, a person familiar with the decision not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times. But the school wants to be good partners in the conference, and of course, it could always use an infusion of cash.

But does USC really need money that badly? The athletic department has already taken significant steps to raise revenue in light of the House settlement, including striking a massive, new 15-year multimedia rights deal with Learfield. USC doesn’t necessarily need the Big Ten or its new private equity partner to create conference-wide revenue streams where it could just strike deals on its own. Nor does it need assurances of the Big Ten’s long-term stability enough to sacrifice equity.

USC once made a mistake by accepting an equal share as its peers in the Pac-12. But it can’t make that mistake again. By virtue of its brand, USC is always going to have a seat at the table.

And if the Big Ten is getting into bed with private equity, it should be using every bit of that leverage to get the best possible deal. There’s no world in which USC should accept a smaller slice of that pie than Michigan or Ohio State, no matter the history of the other two.

Calling all questions!

Have any questions, comments or concerns about USC coming out of the bye week?

Send them along to [email protected] or shoot me a DM @RyanKartje on X or @rkartje on Instagram by Monday night, and I’ll include the best ones in a video mailbag I’m planning to put out early next week.

—Kilian O’Connor is out for at least two games with a knee injury, and maybe more. J’Onre Reed will start at center in his place. Most assumed that Reed would be the starter when he joined USC in the offseason. But O’Connor, a former walk-on, won the job in camp. Which, depending on your perspective, is either troubling for Reed or encouraging for O’Connor. Nonetheless, this is a guy who started 25 games at Syracuse. I’d hope, if USC made a point to pursue him in the portal, that Reed should be at least a passable replacement for a former walk-on. That said, the next two games — against Michigan and Notre Dame — wouldn’t have been a cake walk for USC’s offensive front even at full strength.

—Freshman All-American Caden Chittenden is getting healthier, but don’t expect him to be handed kicking duties when he returns. USC brought in Chittenden after a tremendous freshman season at Nevada Las Vegas to solve its field goal woes. But he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury since the preseason, and in his place, Ryon Sayeri has been as good as anyone could have hoped. Sayeri has hit eight of nine field goals, third-best in the Big Ten, and all 28 extra point attempts. On kickoffs, he’s been “a machine.” “If a guy is playing at a high level, no matter who it is, we wouldn’t make a change just because of that,” Riley said last week. Don’t be surprised if he keeps the job the rest of the way, regardless of Chittenden’s status.

—USC’s top guard, Rodney Rice, will miss the next few weeks with a shoulder injury. Not ideal, obviously. But Rice should be ready to go for the basketball season opener on Nov. 3, when the Trojans take on Cal Poly. Assuming he returns to full health, he’s primed for a big season as the engine of USC’s offense.

—Former Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez was stabbed and later arrested after allegedly drunkenly assaulting a 69-year old man in Indianapolis on Friday night. When the story was first reported, it seemed like Sanchez was the victim of a violent attack. Turns out, the police believe it was the other way around. The other man involved, a 69-year-old grease disposal truck driver, told police that Sanchez tried to break into his truck and assaulted him when he refused to move his truck from an alleyway, according to police records. The man first pepper sprayed Sanchez, then, allegedly fearing for his life, stabbed Sanchez multiple times in the chest. Sanchez was eventually taken to the hospital in critical condition, and he later told police that he didn’t know who stabbed him. He’s now in stable condition.

—The NCAA tournament is “inching closer” to expanding to 76 teams. That’s according to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, who reported that the expansion would likely feature a 12-game opening round in multiple cities, as opposed to the four-team “First Four” matchups which traditionally took place in Dayton, Ohio. I suppose this was inevitable, with so much TV money to be made with the tournament. But I’m not sure if anyone outside of TV execs are really clamoring for this expansion.

Olympic sports spotlight

Many of you have asked and I have heard your pleas for more Olympics sports coverage in the newsletter! So from here on out, most Mondays, we’re going to zoom in on a standout team or athlete from one of USC’s non-revenue programs.

Maribel Flores was named Pac-12 freshman of the year two years ago, but she missed part of the next women’s soccer season to play for Mexico at the U20 World Cup and tallied just a single point as a sophomore.

Now, as a junior, Flores is back in peak form. She has 15 points across 11 games for USC, which ranks third in the Big Ten.

USC struggled without a win through the first three weeks of September, but has since gotten back on track with a three-game win streak. After a road swing through Minnesota and Iowa next week, the Trojans won’t have to leave L.A. for the rest of the regular season. For now, they’re just one game behind UCLA, in second place in the Big Ten.

In case you missed it

Former USC star Mark Sanchez accused of attacking truck driver before he was stabbed

Where does USC go from here with its struggling secondary?

What I’m watching this week

Phil Parma (Philip Seymour Hoffman), in ‘Magnolia.’

(Peter Sorel/New Line Cinema)

Inspired by last week’s pick in this space, “One Battle After Another,” which exceeded my sky-high expectations, I’ve decided to dive back into the Paul Thomas Anderson filmography and check off the boxes I’ve missed.

First up in that quest was “Magnolia,” a sprawling, three-hour epic that I’ve been meaning to watch for many years. Set in the San Fernando Valley, where many of Anderson’s films take place, it follows an ensemble of interconnected narratives that Anderson somehow manages to weave into one story. Incredible writing. Amazing acting. As if I needed any more evidence of Anderson’s genius, “Magnolia” only solidified my adoration of his work.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome Times of Troy readers, to a special middle-of-the-night edition of this newsletter. It’s now just before 3 a.m. as I sit at my dining room table, cursing the greed of the TV executives who conceived of the 8 p.m. kickoff as a concept in the first place. My utmost respect goes to the diehards outside of the Pacific time zone who went the distance in USC’s 45-31 win over Michigan State. May your body clocks recover better than mine surely will.

Until about 1:30 a.m. Eastern time, early Sunday morning, it looked like USC might roll to another resounding victory. The Trojans were up 31-10, a few minutes into the third quarter. They’d piled up twice as many yards as Michigan State.

“We were dominating the football game,” coach Lincoln Riley said.

USC’s defense had forced one three-and-out to open the half, and it was on its way to another quick stop when, on a fourth down, linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson came flying around the edge and clipped Michigan State’s punter as he booted a kick.

Faced with a 4th-and-2 after the penalty, the Spartans decided to go for it. Quarterback Aidan Chiles was flushed from the pocket, and his pass fell incomplete … but another flag was thrown. USC inexplicably had 12 players on the field.

The back-to-back penalties, while troubling, weren’t totally back-breaking at the time. USC was still well in control, with a three-score lead intact. But what happened from there would hint at a larger issue, one that USC will have to iron out in a hurry with the hardest stretch of its schedule looming.

Twice, in the next eight plays, it seemed USC forced Michigan State into a decisive 3rd-and-long, only for a penalty flag to wipe away the stop.

The penalties would kick the door open for Michigan State. And in less than 10 minutes, they’d cut the USC lead to just a single score.

It wasn’t so much the season-high 10 penalties that was most concerning, but rather the lack of discipline on defense that inspired those mistakes. (Though, ranking 129th in the nation in penalty yards per game certainly isn’t great.) Of the defense’s eight penalty calls, there were two illegal substitution flags, an unsportsmanlike conduct and an illegal hands to the face call for the fifth time in three weeks.

Riley said after that he doesn’t want to discourage his defense from playing aggressive. But those aren’t penalties of aggression. They’re self-inflicted wounds. And if USC’s defense continues to make them a habit, they will eventually pay for it.

“We definitely thought we’d be better from that standpoint,” defensive tackle Devan Thompkins said. “Going forward, playing these Big Ten games, we have to reduce those penalties for sure.”

There are plenty of reasons for Riley to be encouraged by the progress of USC’s defense. The pass rush is actually disruptive. The run defense is giving up just three yards per carry.

The problems on that side of the ball are no longer about the quality of players. Linebacker Eric Gentry, in the midst of an All-American season, ranks first in the Big Ten in tackles for loss, third in sacks and fifth in tackles. The defensive line is so deep that five-star freshman Jahkeem Stewart played just 17 snaps on Saturday, despite dominating almost every one of them.

Which is what makes the discipline breakdowns so disappointing. USC, for the first time in Riley’s tenure, has the talent to compete on defense. The question now, as the Trojans enter their toughest stretch of the season, is whether that will be enough.

Huge shoes to fill

When Lindsay Gottlieb set out to rebuild USC’s roster in the spring, she knew there was no way to make up for their most important loss from last season.

“No one is filling JuJu’s shoes,” she said. “Those are unique shoes.”

Watkins tore her anterior cruciate ligament in March. She’s “doing great”, according to Gottlieb. “But there’s still no timeline for her return. If she comes back at all this season, I can’t imagine it would be until late in the calendar. Her absence from the lineup is no less than a gaping void.”

But when losing a generational superstar, it sure helps to have another No. 1 prospect in the pipeline.

Enter freshman Jazzy Davidson.

“The fact that Jazzy can step into our program and already just make a really unique and incredible impression on everybody is pretty wild,” Gottlieb said. “She’s really, really good. I’ll start with that. She’s next-level good.”

“Her impact on the basketball court just comes in a lot of different ways. She glides. She’s very fluid. She can score it. She can pass it. She impacts the game defensively. She comes in ready in a way that’s very unique for someone her age. So we’re super excited. We know that we’ve got something special with her.”

We know much less about what to expect from the new-look Trojans frontcourt, which lost a WNBA All-Star in Kiki Iriafen and an entrenched team leader in Rayah Marshall. Replacing their production means counting on transfers Yakiya Milton and Dayana Mendes, Lithuanian import Gerda Raulusaityte or returners Vivian Iwuchukwu and Lauren Williams to fill the void.

“We knew that size and the frontcourt was going to be important,” Gottlieb said. “I don’t think any of us said we have to find one person to get us 18 and 10 like Kiki. As a group, we need production in different ways.”

Ja’Kobi Lane makes a catch in front of Purdue defensive back Hudauri Hines.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

—Ja’Kobi Lane’s absence couldn’t come at a worse time. Riley said that the unspecified ailment became an issue unexpectedly in the middle of last week, but that Lane sustained the injury sometime during the Trojans win over Purdue. Lane didn’t have a catch in the fourth quarter of that game. Riley didn’t offer much more information than that and even called the injury “inconclusive”. But he left the door open for Lane to miss more games. If he’s saying that already, I’d expect that’s a serious possibility. USC’s next opponent, Illinois, just lost six of its top seven defensive backs, so maybe it won’t be so much of a problem next week. But against Michigan, in a critical game at the Coliseum, USC could really use its top red zone target.

—USC lost its left tackle for more than half the game yesterday. The offensive line still held up well. Elijah Paige isn’t expected to be out long term, according to Riley, but the fact that USC only allowed three pressures all game in spite of his injury is a good sign. Michigan State doesn’t have a fearsome pass rush exactly, but that’s a strong performance against any Power Four opponent. Tobias Raymond, who played at both guard and tackle Saturday, continues to live up to Riley’s rave reviews from the offseason. I also thought right tackle Justin Tauanuu looked good switching between the right and left sides after Paige went out.

—New point guard Jordan Marsh is receiving rave reviews in preseason. USC knew that Marsh could step in as a scoring threat, after he averaged almost 19 per game at North Carolina Asheville last season. But the transfer guard looks like more of an all-around impact player than anyone anticipated. “He’s hands down one of the fastest guards I’ve ever played with,” said forward Ezra Ausar. He’s also a deceptively feisty defender for as small as he is. The question now is how well Marsh can orchestrate the offense. Could he allow for Rodney Rice to play some on the perimeter? Regardless, early indications continue to be Marsh will play a key role in USC’s rotation.

—Remember when Trojan fans wanted Luke Fickell to take over as head coach? Well, I’m sure Wisconsin would happily trade places now. The Badgers were blown out at home this week by Maryland, and fans chanted for Fickell to be fired. It’s an important reminder that coaches don’t always fit in new situations in the way we expect them to. It’s only getting worse from here for Wisconsin, with Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Illinois and Indiana all upcoming.

In case you missed it

With Makai Lemon slicing and scoring, USC defeats Michigan State to remain unbeaten

D’Anton Lynn says he hasn’t been contacted by UCLA, and his focus is on USC’s defense

How Bishop Fitzgerald’s roots as a quarterback helped him become a prolific USC safety

What I’m watching this week

Cary Christopher as Alex in “Weapons.”

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

We are closing in on spooky season, which is the one time of year my wife will agree to watch a scary movie with me. The selection process for that single horror flick every year is usually extensive. But this year, it was an easy choice.

“Weapons” is one of the most talked-about horror movies in recent memory, and I’ve spent the last several months somehow dodging spoilers at every turn. What I do know: A classroom full of kids mysteriously disappears in the middle of the night one night, leaving a community to reckon with who or what is behind it all.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

It was a long, wet afternoon in West Lafayette, but USC emerged unscathed from Big Ten country with its first conference road win in hand and a pick-six for its massive, 360-pound nose tackle. What more could you really ask for from a trip to Purdue?

After marching up and down the field for two weeks and beating up on its first two opponents by an average margin of 50 points, USC was finally tested by a real, genuine football team on Saturday. And while it wasn’t perfect, it was certainly important, considering what awaits the Trojans during the next six weeks.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we do still have some reasons for concern as the conference competition ratchets up. The secondary, aside from two Bishop Fitzgerald picks, gave Purdue’s receivers too much space and gifted them too many busted coverages. The run game didn’t always find room and the passing attack wasn’t always consistent.

But just closing out a close game on the road in the fourth quarter was a critical step for USC this season. The manner in which it shut the door on Purdue was especially encouraging, given how similar circumstances were handled a season ago.

USC had just two fourth-quarter drives, which it turned into just three total points. On paper, without context, they might look entirely unremarkable. The Trojans averaged just 5.95 yards per play through that stretch, nearly a yard lower than they managed during the full game.

But those two drives, from a situational perspective, were precisely what USC needed in that moment.

And that’s a credit to USC coach Lincoln Riley, whose late-game management left a lot to be desired last season. On Saturday, he showed a much better grasp of how to close out a Big Ten game away from home.

Through three quarters, USC’s run game was mostly stymied, with just 91 yards in 25 carries. Still, Riley kept with it. Knowing he needed to keep the clock running, the Trojans’ coach kept his team grounded for the majority of the fourth quarter. Out of 19 plays in that final quarter, USC ran the ball 15 times.

USC racked up 87 rushing yards during those two drives — almost double its previous output — but more important, it chewed away almost 11 minutes of clock. Eventually, Purdue just ran out of time to mount a comeback.

“We knew how much time we had to chew,” senior tight end Lake McRee said. “We did what we needed to do to get the job done.”

It hadn’t always seemed so simple to USC and its coach. Last season, quarterback Miller Moss was asked to throw the ball at least 50 times in three of USC’s four road losses, all of which the Trojans led in the fourth quarter.

With that in mind, USC set out to make late-game management more of a focal point. So at practice, Riley would run the team through its “Trojan Period,” in which they’d run a sequence of plays focused on late-game situational awareness.

Most of the time, McRee said, that just meant grinding away with the run.

We saw the benefit of that work in West Lafayette. It wasn’t perfect — for instance, USC went 0 for 3 on third down — but Saturday felt, to me at least, like a sign that the Trojans and their coach may have learned the right lessons from last season and perhaps put their fourth-quarter woes in the rearview mirror.

USC defensive tackle Floyd Boucard sacks Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne in West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday.

(Michael Conroy / Associated Press)

— USC’s pass rush progress feels legit. After its third consecutive game with four or more sacks, I think we can safely say that USC is much-improved in this area. USC not only had five sacks Saturday, but pressured Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne 31 times on 39 dropbacks, according to PFF. That’s an absurd mark. The Trojans actually lead the nation in sacks with 14 through three weeks, much of which they were able to collect without blitzing. Before this season, USC had just two games total with four or more sacks during the Riley era, both in 2023. That rate probably isn’t sustainable. But D’Anton Lynn finally has a collection of talent to rush the passer, and the results look a lot more like UCLA in 2023, when Lynn’s Bruins defense finished in the top-10 in sacks nationally, than USC in 2024.

— Penalties are becoming a real problem. Riley made clear that USC needed to cut down on discipline penalties after it drew eight penalties a week ago. But the Trojans ended up drawing their most penalties of the season Saturday (nine) and the most penalty yards of Riley’s tenure (103). They had two sideline interference calls, a roughing the passer call and a personal foul on a punt. “We know we’ve gotta do better,” Riley said.

— USC’s corner rotation narrowed, as promised. And Marcelles Williams was the main beneficiary. It wasn’t clear who would get the start opposite of DeCarlos Nicholson, and after an iffy showing from the cornerback room, there’s no guarantee that Williams will remain in the role. But Williams beat Braylon Conley, DJ Harvey and Chasen Johnson for the start Saturday, and he finished tied for second on the team in tackles (five). Williams played 45 snaps, while Harvey played 22, Johnson played 21 and Conley played 10. The problem is none of them were really up to par in coverage.

— It’s not often that USC finds itself in a weather delay. The last time was in 2012, when USC beat Syracuse at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. But before that, USC hadn’t had a football game affected by weather since 1990, when officials called the game with 2:36 left, handing a win to USC over Ohio State. The Buckeyes were … umm … not happy about it at the time.

In case you missed it

USC exorcises its Big Ten road demons by beating Purdue to remain unbeaten

USC’s Three Things to Watch Against Purdue

USC hopes more leg room pays off: 3 key questions Trojans must answer vs. Purdue

‘I know what I can be.’ How USC tailback Waymond Jordan went from anonymous to a star

What I’m watching this week

Mark Ruffalo and Alison Oliver hold up guns as they search a street on the HBO show “Task.”

(Peter Kramer / HBO)

I was a huge fan of “Mare of Easttown” when it debuted in 2021, so I was thrilled to hear the creator, Brad Inglesby, was returning to HBO with a new crime drama. Fortunately, I can report that “Task” appears to be everything you’d want it to be if you’re looking for a fitting follow-up to one of the best shows of the past five years.

The show follows the intertwining stories of an alcoholic FBI agent played by Mark Ruffalo and a masked robber played by Tom Pelphrey. The aesthetic is dark and dour. And yet, the show is a beautiful piece of filmmaking, and I’m enjoying every minute of it so far.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

We are now two weeks into the college football season, and here at the Times of Troy newsletter, we can confidently say that … we’re not really sure what to think of USC’s football team. The Trojans are an emphatic 2-0, having outscored their first two opponents by a combined margin of 99 points. They put up more yards against Georgia Southern (755) than they had in a game since at least 1972, when statistical records were first available.

(History lesson: That was still well off the program record of 978 yards, set almost exactly 100 years ago, when USC pummeled Pomona College 80-0 at the start of the 1925 season.)

And yet, for all the fireworks, I still have most of the same questions that I did before the season. Has Jayden Maiava taken a leap? Will the offensive line hold up? Is the defensive line better? Has the pass rush improved? All are trending in a positive direction at this point, but we still can’t answer any definitively. Not after two wins over completely overmatched opponents.

But for all my skepticism, I feel certain about one thing from the last two weeks, no matter how small the sample size: USC’s clearest path to the Playoff this season is through its backfield.

Through two games, USC leads the nation in yards per carry (8.6). It ranks second in the country in rushing touchdowns (10) and ninth in 20-plus yards runs (six), while exactly one in every three rush attempts by USC this season has gone for a first down.

None of those insane statistics are sustainable, of course. But Lincoln Riley told us that this was “the most talented backfield” of his tenure at USC, and so far, regardless of the competition, it seems clear that’s the case. What we don’t know for sure yet is how Riley will deploy his backfield through the Big Ten gauntlet that awaits at the end of this month.

He certainly shouldn’t need much more convincing that Waymond Jordan is capable of carrying USC’s offense. The junior college transfer’s ability to elude tacklers and change directions on a dime is truly unlike any back Riley has had at USC.

Early in the third quarter on Saturday, Jordan burst from the backfield like he was shot out of a cannon, stutter-stepped just enough to shake off two defenders, then turned on the jets. What might have otherwise been a seven- or eight-yard gain, instead became a 36-yard score.

Jordan isn’t alone in his explosiveness. Senior Eli Sanders is just as capable of breaking off a big play, like he did in Week 1, when he caught a screen pass and took it 78 yards to the house, sprinting at one point at a speed of 21 mph. Jordan served as more of a bell cow against Georgia Southern, but he still had three plays of his own of 10-plus yards.

Together, they appear to be a perfect duo in Riley’s offense. So will he let them lead the way?

Riley’s history might suggest otherwise. He has irritated fans for his reluctance to lean on the run, and rightfully so. You could make the case better clock management could have flipped a few of the one-score losses USC suffered a year ago.

This season, that could be even more important. The more Maiava throws the ball, the more likely he is to make the sort of big mistakes that could swing the game.

It happened more than once last season with Miller Moss. In three of USC’s six losses, Moss threw the ball 50 times. Enough that even Riley recognized that he should have run the ball more.

That can’t happen this season. Not with all that USC now has to work with in its backfield. And not with a season of experience in the Big Ten under Riley’s belt.

Riley has seen what it takes to make it through a Big Ten slate. Now it’s time to apply what he’s learned …

… and run the damn ball.

Tyran Stokes celebrates after a slam dunk earlier this year while playing for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

( Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

—Micah Banuelos got the start at right guard over Alani Noa. Banuelos was in the thick of the competition to start at one of the guard spots, so this is less of a surprise on his end. But Noa being bumped after one week could be an interesting development. When Riley was asked about it, he only said that it was an “inside-the-walls decision”. Could this be Banuelos being the guy going forward? I didn’t think either really separated from the other at the position.

—Jahkeem Stewart lined up all over the defensive line in his first game action. The five-star freshman only played in a dozen football games at the high school level — and hadn’t played one in a while before Saturday. So Riley expected some rust. But even in his first game back, USC didn’t hold back on moving him around. Stewart played pretty much every position on the defensive line, including nose tackle. He played 23 snaps, fifth-most among USC linemen, and tallied two tackles. “He’s a really talented guy that I think is going to really impact our defense positively this year and in the future,” Riley said.

—A one-time transfer portal window is imminent. But there’s no perfect option. The NCAA Football Oversight Committee voted last week to get rid of the spring window, and while the change hasn’t been formally adopted, it’s heading in that direction. I agree with Riley that it’s ultimately progress. But if the 10-day window opens on Jan. 2, as Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger reported, that means coaches in the final four of the College Football Playoff will have to contend with players hopping into the portal mid-playoff run. Opening after the Playoff, meanwhile, might mean missing the beginning of an academic semester. “I don’t know that there’s a right answer,” Riley said. “You’re going to give up something either way.”

—The No. 1 basketball recruit in the country just visited USC. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame star forward Tyran Stokes took his official visit with Eric Musselman and Co. over the weekend. Stokes has already visited Kentucky, Kansas and Louisville, but USC is still in the thick of the race. He’s not the only top prospect who’s visited with the Trojans recently, either. Bellflower St. John Bosco stars Christian Collins (eighth overall) and Tajh Ariza (14th) had official visits at USC the weekend before Stokes. There’s no denying USC’s hustle on the recruiting trail during an absolutely critical year for recruiting in L.A. Now they just need to close with one of these top recruits.

—Tennessee and Penn State both just signed massive apparel deals to switch from Nike to adidas. Could USC follow? USC’s previous long-term deal with Nike is up next year, and the school is looking into all of its options. When Mike Bohn was athletic director, he complained to me multiple times about how bad USC’s current deal was with Nike. That’s not to say USC is looking to leave. But you can count on the size of the next deal making a much bigger difference, and adidas has shown a willingness to take big swings. For what it’s worth, in 2018, current USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen negotiated an identical switch, signing a huge apparel deal to flip Washington from Nike to adidas.

Big Ten travel tip

The most critical thing to know when traveling to Indiana from Los Angeles is that there are no direct flights into Indianapolis. So you can catch me flying into Chicago for each of the Trojans’ next three road trips.

But when it comes to fueling up before USC’s Big Ten opener in West Lafayette, Ind., next weekend, I’ll be checking out Triple XXX Family Restaurant. Once you get over the confounding/awesome name, it looks like just the sort of Midwestern diner that shouldn’t be missed. I’m a sucker for a diner burger. Especially when it’s named after a famous alum.

In case you missed it

Hernández: Is USC’s offense really that good? The Trojans’ numbers impress, but some questions loom

Clay Helton returns to USC at peace after being fired by Trojans

George Raveling, former USC basketball coach and Naismith Hall of Famer, dies at 88

What I’m watching this week

Domhnall Gleeson as Ned in “The Paper.”

(Aaron Epstein / Peacock)

I was skeptical when I heard that NBC was making a spinoff of “The Office” based on a Midwestern newspaper. I didn’t want it to sour my deep adoration for the original. But given the fact that it fits my algorithm to a frighteningly precise degree, of course I was going to give “The Paper” a shot.

And predictably, the plight of the newspaper — let alone one set 45 minutes from my hometown — was enough to get me hooked. It’s not a perfect show yet by any means, but neither was “The Office” when it first started. What I do know is Domnhall Gleeson is a joy, and there’s a kernel of something that could work here. I’ll subscribe.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where I am thrilled to say we finally have an actual, genuine college football game to talk about! Even if what unfolded at the Coliseum on Saturday barely resembled a college football game at all.

USC absolutely stomped Missouri State, 73-13, in its season opener, scoring more points Saturday than it had in a game since 1930. Nine players scored touchdowns, while USC piled up 597 yards, the fourth-most in a game during Lincoln Riley’s tenure. Not exactly the warmest welcome for Missouri State to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

But for USC, this is probably what we can expect from the non-conference slate for the foreseeable future. At least, until Notre Dame gets on board with playing every September. The stance USC has taken is there’s no sense in adding another tough, non-conference opponent to the schedule, when they won’t be rewarded by the CFP selection committee for doing so.

After watching USC win by 60, though, I’m not sure what anyone really got out of the proceedings Saturday, either, aside from some sun and some added game experience for young players.

We can’t draw many conclusions from what we saw out of USC’s season-opening smackdown. But since we’ve seen so little up to this point, let’s empty the notebook from Saturday and ask what it might mean going forward.

Jayden Maiava was in total control. He also didn’t take many risks. It was, by far, Maiava’s most efficient performance to date. He overthrew Makai Lemon on what would’ve been a deep touchdown, but that was mostly it for mistakes. He was 14 of 14 on throws under 20 yards. He made the right call to keep the ball on multiple read option plays, and he had zero turnover-worthy passes according to PFF. He just looked more in command than last season, which is a positive sign. That said, Maiava didn’t really have to do much Saturday. This was as easy as it’ll get this season. But he did exactly what he should do against an inferior opponent.

Husan Longstreet’s talent is very apparent. That’s no reason to rush him. USC’s five-star freshman quarterback got to play the entire second half against Missouri State, which was probably the most valuable part of Saturday’s game. He completed 9 of 9 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, while rushing eight times for 54 yards and two touchdowns. He’s clearly more ready as a rusher than a passer at this point. He held the ball too long on a dropback in the third quarter, got hit and lost a fumble. You can tell the game is still slowing down for him. But when he took off to run on a few occasions, he looked like Lamar Jackson Lite darting through lanes in Missouri State’s defense. Whenever he takes over at the position, he’ll be the fastest quarterback at USC since … umm … ever?

Maybe Riley wasn’t exaggerating about this being his “most talented” running back room yet. Waymond Jordan only touched the ball six times, but that was enough for me to see what the fuss through fall camp was about. Jordan has an elusiveness and wiggle to his game that reminds me a little bit of a shiftier Marshawn Lloyd. Eli Sanders, meanwhile, looked like he was shot out of a cannon on his 73-yard touchdown catch. Even King Miller, the walk-on, ripped off a 75-yard breakaway score. The only question now is how Riley will actually deploy the run game, but a 233-yard, six-touchdown performance is not a bad way to start.

Kameryn Fountain wasted no time in making his presence felt. We told you that Fountain is on the brink of a breakout season, and he definitely made us look smart in Week 1. From the very first play Saturday, when his pressure forced a quick throw from Missouri State, Fountain consistently affected the pocket. Braylan Shelby actually led USC in sacks with a pair, but I’d still bet on Fountain to be leading the team come December.

We weren’t talking enough about Bishop Fitzgerald. USC’s new safety was an absolute menace Saturday, whether he was in coverage or in the box. He intercepted one pass and returned it for a touchdown, then two drives later, broke up a third down pass. Fitzgerald and Ramsey look like a lethal combination on their own, and Christian Pierce, as the third safety, gives USC the ability to keep three safeties on the field. The more versatility D’Anton Lynn has at his disposal, the better.

Makai Lemon was targeted eight times and caught seven passes … on just 14 routes. That’s 6.42 yards per route run! The best in the NFL last season — Puka Nacua — was at 3.61 yards per route run last season. Lemon won’t face Missouri State every week, but he’s already clearly Maiava’s most reliable target.

USC opened the game with two tight ends (12 personnel), a grouping it used just 20% of the time in 2024. Expect more of it this season. After three years of mostly ignoring the position, USC may have some potential at tight end this year. And by playing more often out of 12 personnel, with two tight ends on the field, it can use bigger fronts to establish the run, while maintaining the threat of the pass. USC’s tight ends didn’t have any touchdowns last season. They have two already in 2025.

Week 1’s three highest-graded USC players by PFF were Fitzgerald, Maiava … and freshman linebacker Matai Tagoa’i. In his first collegiate game, Tagoa’i played just 15 snaps, but managed to force a fumble in the fourth quarter. He also lined up in the slot for six of his snaps and held his own in coverage. Overall, an impressive debut for a player I thought would take a while to make his mark.

USC’s AD on revenue sharing

USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

It’s been eight weeks since universities began paying their athletes directly, in the wake of the House vs. NCAA settlement. Not long enough, as USC’s athletic director sees it, to draw any larger conclusions about whether the system is functioning correctly or not.

“In college athletics, none of us have any patience,” Jennifer Cohen said. “I think in a perfect world, you’re launching a new plan, and at the same time, all the enforcement is done, all the rules are announced, it’s staffed fully, you know, and you’re rolling all at once. That’s just not where we are, but we also took on a massive undertaking. And I think that there’s as many positives as there are unanswered questions in it. 
I would say, locally speaking, it’s gone really well.”

The Times spoke last week with Cohen, who for the first time shared details of how USC is divvying up the $20.5-million cap that schools are now allowed to pay their athletes for NIL.

USC has NIL agreements with athletes in four sports right now: Football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and … women’s indoor volleyball. You might be surprised to hear that volleyball made that cut, but that’s actually consistent with other schools across the country.

How the money is divided is a bit more complicated this year, given how many NIL deals were struck prior to the July 1 start date for revenue sharing. But the formula most schools say they’re following calls for 75% to football (~$15 million), 15% to men’s basketball (~$3 million), 5% to women’s basketball (~$1 million) and the last 5% split among the remaining programs.

But added scholarships across other sports play a critical role in that picture. Newly funded scholarships only count against the cap up to $2.5 million, and so the programs who don’t get cut revenue share checks will be able to fund more scholarships than they would have before.

USC has a two-year plan to spread out those new scholarships, with some sports being granted more scholarships this year, and others adding them next year. The plan, Cohen said, is to fund that by endowing at least 100 new scholarships. Consider that annual costs at USC are nearing $100,000 per student, and that’s no small chunk of change to raise.

—USC still has $50 million left to raise for its football facility project. The Bloom Football Performance Center is quickly taking shape, with all signs still pointing towards opening sometime next summer. The original plan called for raising $175 million, but that number went up to $200 million and then $225 million. Not because of rising construction costs, but other capital project needs. Cohen, USC’s AD, said she isn’t concerned about closing the gap. “We’ll get there,” she said. But with all the added expenses now on the department’s budget, Cohen told The Times plainly that donor money has never been more important in college athletics. “This,” she said, “is a really big year for fundraising.”

—USC’s pregame “Drip Walk” is no more. The last few seasons, on their way into the stadium, USC’s players were encouraged to express themselves with their pregame fashion, the photos of which would then be posted on social media. But now those outfits have been traded out for a uniform, school-issued gear look. I, personally, never would’ve pointed to the “Drip Walk” as part of a culture problem. But hey, to each their own. Riley said that the players made the choice themselves. “If you ask these guys, we don’t show up to a meeting, we don’t do anything unless it’s all together.”

My Week 2 pick …

Clay Helton makes his triumphant return to the Coliseum, where he’ll be a 24.5-point underdog to his former team. USC absolutely crushed the Vegas line last week, and I have a feeling this one may not be big enough either. Georgia Southern gave up 351 yards rushing to Fresno State last week. Jordan should have a big day in USC’s backfield.

Give me the Trojans as the 24.5-point favorite. They win 42-17.

In case you missed it

Hernández: How does beating up a second-rate team help Lincoln Riley make USC a contender again?

Jayden Maiava and USC go on scoring spree in season-opening blowout of Missouri State

College football is back! Can USC and UCLA bounce back into relevance?

Q&A: USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen: ‘No one wants to succeed more’ than Lincoln Riley

Meet Chad Bowden, the man who has quickly transformed the USC football program

USC offers multi-year extension to Notre Dame, ‘hopeful’ for deal to extend rivalry series

‘I came here to be a player.’ Kilian O’Connor goes from walk-on to USC starting center

What I’m watching this week

Billy Joel: And So It Goes

(HBO)

Billy Joel was a mainstay in the soundtrack of my childhood. “Piano Man” and “Vienna” are still regulars in my karaoke rotation. But I never realized how little I actually knew about Joel and his life until I watched HBO’s two-part documentary, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes.” The doc is a riveting look at Joel’s rise to stardom that doesn’t hold back in digging deep on its main subject, from his failed marriages to his drinking to his reputation among other musicians.

It didn’t hurt, of course, that I found myself singing throughout all five hours.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

After all the transfer portal trackers and the Lincoln Riley Finebaum rants and the landscape-altering, paradigm-shifting changes to the sport, it’s finally game week here at the Times of Troy.

We’re at the doorstep of a new USC football season, which means there’s no better time to subscribe to this newsletter and ensure you get the best USC analysis — not to mention TV recs, Big Ten betting picks, Midwest travel tips and more — delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.

For this week, it’s time for the Times of Troy to get down to business. We’ve told you what the best-case scenario would look like for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans this season. We’ve told you the worst case. So now, let’s talk about how we actually think this season will unfold at USC.

Aug. 30 vs. Missouri State: USC was supposed to welcome Lane Kiffin back to the Coliseum in this one. Instead, they get a team playing in its first game as a Football Bowl Subdivision team. Missouri State had just six winning seasons in this century at the FCS level. Its record over the last five years (26-31) is the worst of any team making the FBS transition ever. The Bears have a quarterback with some potential in Jacob Clark, but that won’t be nearly enough.

Prediction: USC wins, 52-10

Sept. 6 vs. Georgia Southern: Clay Helton’s return to the Coliseum could be an uncomfortable affair, if only because Georgia Southern might actually be one of the best teams in the Sun Belt Conference. At the very least, they return a lot of experience on both sides of the ball. That shouldn’t trip up a team with the talent of USC. But don’t be surprised if the Trojans come out tight. A big mistake from USC makes things interesting before the defense clamps down in the second half.

Prediction: USC wins, 33-20

Sept. 13 at Purdue: It’s tough to know what to expect from a team that brought in 54 (!!) transfers, but I’ve seen enough of Purdue in recent years to not expect all that much. Barry Odom worked magic at Nevada Las Vegas, but it won’t be nearly that simple in West Lafayette, with a Big Ten schedule ahead. For USC, this is as smooth of a Big Ten road opener as they could hope for. It should be noted the Trojans did lose a game like this — to Maryland — a year ago. This time, USC takes the opportunity to prove it can push down the gas pedal late.

Prediction: USC wins, 38-13

Sept. 20 vs. Michigan State: Entering this game at 3-0 is essential because the road gets much rockier from here. If quarterback Aidan Chiles can make the leap in his second year with Jonathan Smith, the Spartans could make this interesting. But this is still a Spartan offense that ranked 123rd of 134 teams in points per game last season. They won’t be that bad in 2025, but this early in the season, I don’t see the Spartans keeping up. Especially with USC’s defense eager to make a statement.

Prediction: USC wins, 30-17

Sept. 27 at Illinois: I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say the direction of USC’s entire season could be determined in Champaign, Ill., in late September. A win could catapult the Trojans into playoff contention. A loss could start a monthlong slide. They’re not the only ones with a lot on the line here, though. Illinois has its own playoff ambitions. Plus, the Illini return 18 starters, including quarterback Luke Altmyer, who’s already one of the best in the conference. I toiled over picking this game, but ultimately couldn’t get USC’s struggles on the road last season out of my head.

Prediction: USC loses, 24-23

Oct. 11 vs. Michigan: We know that Michigan will have a top-tier defense, but on offense, so much rides on a relative unknown, albeit one with a rocket right arm. True freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood looks the part of a Vince Young clone, but will he be able to handle a hostile atmosphere and keep his composure? Michigan will have already faced Oklahoma (at home) and Nebraska (in Lincoln) by this point, so this isn’t Underwood’s first rodeo on the road. The Coliseum will be rocking, and USC will be eager to avenge last season’s loss. But the Trojans offensive line will struggle to stay intact. And in a grind-it-out kind of game, I favor Michigan and its defensive front.

Prediction: USC loses, 28-24

Oct. 18 at Notre Dame: After back-to-back difficult defeats, USC travels to South Bend for arguably the toughest game of its season. We don’t know yet what to expect out of C.J. Carr and the Notre Dame passing attack, but that’s pretty much where the questions stop. The Irish have the best run game USC will face all season, led by Heisman candidate Jeremiyah Love, and probably the best overall defense, too. Unless Jayden Maiava has a star turn or USC’s defense creates turnovers, it could be a long trip for the Trojans.

Prediction: USC loses, 27-17

Nov. 1 at Nebraska: The bye comes at a critical time here for USC, having lost three in a row. In this scenario, we might be talking about whether or not Riley should continue with Maiava at quarterback. But traveling to Lincoln is no walk in the park. The Huskers have one of the more hostile environments in the Big Ten and could be primed for a leap this season. That said, I do think USC will exorcise its road demons somewhere on this schedule. The calls for five-star freshman Husan Longstreet might have gotten pretty loud by this point, but Maiava comes up big while the Trojans’ backs are against the wall.

Prediction: USC wins, 34-31

Nov. 7 vs. Northwestern: The short week after an emotional win leaves USC primed for a letdown, and the Wildcats should be improved with a passable quarterback in Southern Methodist transfer Preston Stone now under center. But the gap between these two teams is just too significant for Northwestern to bridge on the road. USC’s defense dominates, and Maiava continues to roll.

Prediction: USC wins, 41-16

Nov. 15 vs. Iowa: I think Iowa will surprise people this season, now that it finally has a quarterback in Mark Gronowski capable of slinging it. Kirk Ferentz will always have the Hawkeyes playing good defense, and they could make life difficult on Maiava and USC’s passing attack if the Trojans get behind. It’s just the sort of game where Riley’s coaching and in-game management will play a critical role. So, too, will D’Anton Lynn’s defensive prowess. I think his group comes up big in this one, giving Lynn another showcase for NFL teams looking for their next coordinator.

Prediction: USC wins, 24-17

Nov. 22 at Oregon: After so much roster turnover and with a new quarterback at the helm, Oregon is a big question mark to me. Between the two of USC’s toughest road tilts — Notre Dame being the other — this game feels more winnable to me. That said, I have a tough time envisioning USC heading into Autzen in late November. We just haven’t seen Riley’s teams win games like this yet. New Oregon running back Makhi Hughes will continue his surge as one of the Big Ten’s best backs, and the Ducks defensive front, led by Matayo Uiagalelei, will give USC’s offensive line fits.

Prediction: USC loses, 38-31

Nov. 29 vs. UCLA: Count me as someone who doesn’t buy the sudden hype for a Bruins offense led by Nico Iamaleava. For one, the weapons around Iamaleava aren’t nearly of the caliber as they were last season at Tennessee. UCLA’s defense was able to keep Maiava in check last season, but that was a full year ago. USC has a big day with its downfield offense, and the Trojans take the crosstown rivalry for the third time in four years.

Prediction: USC wins, 42-24

Official Times of Troy record prediction: 8-4

It’s only right, I guess, that after suggesting USC could go anywhere from 6-6 to 10-2, I end up settling right in the middle. USC’s defense is going to take a step forward this season — I feel confident about that much. But there are still too many questions on offense, namely along the offensive line, for me to trust the Trojans to beat teams like Illinois, Nebraska, Notre Dame or Oregon on the road. It’s up to Maiava to make me eat my words.

Matt Leinart led USC to the national title in 2004.

(Los Angeles Times)

—With DJ Wingfield not suiting up this fall, the starting offensive line that makes the most sense to me … has Tobias Raymond at left guard, and Justin Tauanuu at right tackle. Riley has harped for years about having his best five linemen, regardless of position, playing up front. Tauanuu has more pedigree and experience, both in practice and in games, than Micah Banuelos. Plus, when Redmond was being recruited, USC told him they saw him as a future NFL interior lineman. The bigger question may be at center, where Kilian O’Connor has kept even with transfer J’Onre Reed all camp.

—Count receivers Tanook Hines and Corey Simms as freshmen who could contribute. Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon will get the lion’s share of targets this season, but beyond them, the receiver room is wide open. Prince Strachan will presumably start the season on the outside opposite of Lane, while Zacharyus Williams and Jay Fair will factor in on a rotational basis. But before season’s end, don’t be surprised if either of these two works their way into a role.

—USC will once again pick its captains weekly. Most fans I’ve talked to didn’t love this setup last season, but Riley thinks it gives players an incentive to prove themselves every week. I think the real answer is probably that it doesn’t impact much at all. Players know who the team leaders are, whether they’re announced as captains or not.

—The SEC is finally adopting a nine-game league schedule. Which the Big Ten has been pushing for, publicly and privately. But while the Big Ten got what it wants in this case — and what’s best for college football, I might add — the SEC wouldn’t make this move for equity’s sake. My guess is that this compromise eventually leads the Big Ten to accept the SEC’s preferred model for the College Football Playoff. The Big Ten has held out to this point on a system with four automatic qualifiers for themselves and the SEC, the rest of the power conferences, including the SEC, want a format with five conference champions and 11 at-large bids.

—Auburn has decided to claim the 2004 national title for itself. L-O-L. The record books may say that USC vacated the 2004 national title. But let’s set aside that technicality for a moment to marvel at the audacity of claiming a championship more than two decades after the fact. And not just that, but claiming a championship that rightfully belongs to one of the greatest college football teams of the 21st century. That Trojans team set out to “leave no doubt” during that season after sharing the title in 2003, and they proceeded to go wire to wire at No. 1 in the AP poll, beating their opponents by an average net margin of 25 points per game. No one doubted who was the champion then, and no one doubts it now. No matter what the NCAA or Auburn happens to claim.

In case you missed it

Q&A: Former USC star Todd Marinovich says it was cathartic to finally write his own story

Carson Palmer embracing the challenges and joys of coaching high school football

Top USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane cleared to play after breaking his foot during offseason

Judge’s ruling effectively blocks two players from competing for USC and UCLA this season

What I’m watching this week

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in “Platonic.”

(Paul Sarkis / Apple TV+)

Seth Rogen has been on an absolute heater lately — “The Studio” is probably my favorite show of 2025 to date — and his role in “Platonic” is just another feather in his cap. I could watch Rogen and Rose Byrne banter for hours on end, which is pretty much the premise of this Apple comedy about two platonic forty-something friends grappling with their lives. What we’ve seen of the second season so far is letting other members of the cast cook, too, which is always a great sign for where a comedy is headed.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, and the happiest of birthdays to my son, Camden, who turns 2 today. Judging by how often he’s pointing at the TV and screaming for me to turn on NFL preseason games, I’d say he is as ready for “ball ball” season as anyone.

Fortunately for him — and us — we are less than two weeks out from USC’s season opener against Missouri State. There’s still a lot we don’t know. But before we walk our way through the schedule next week, it’s time to get on the record with a few things I think might happen with USC..

Here are six bold predictions for the Trojans in 2025:

Jayden Maiava will throw for 30 touchdowns this season. But he’ll also throw 15 interceptions.

Maiava made a concerted effort over the summer to eliminate the back-breaking mistakes he struggled with last season. He dug deeper into Lincoln Riley’s offense, and he worked on his mechanics with the experts at the 3DQB training academy. But Maiava’s style is always going to lend itself to high variance. He loves to chuck it deep and still seems to throw it too often into coverage. That’s going to yield some thrilling results at times on an offense that should be more conducive to big plays. But 4.3% of his passes last season were deemed turnover-worthy by Pro Football Focus. That was third-highest in the Big Ten and too high for USC’s offense to reach its potential. His big-time throw rate was also third-highest in the Big Ten at 5.1%, though, and that was before he fully grasped the Trojans offense. There’s room to grow here. But I’d caution that his proclivity for throwing caution to the wind might just be a part of the deal with Maiava.

USC will be shuffling its offensive line all season.

USC hasn’t really had a reliable front since Riley’s first season, and this is by far his most unproven unit yet. The interior is a legitimate concern if DJ Wingfield isn’t deemed eligible. I expect at some point this season we’ll see a former walk-on (Kilian O’Connor) and a preferred walk-on (Kaylon Miller) start a game at center and guard, respectively. And while both should be commended for their development, that’s not a good sign for USC’s offense. The Trojans desperately need Elijah Paige to deliver on his huge potential this season at left tackle, Alani Noa to iron out some of his inconsistencies at right guard, and Tobias Raymond to live up to Riley’s billing of him as one of the best players on the team. That’s a lot to ask. Expect many different combinations up front for USC, with J’Onre Reed, Micah Banuelos and Justin Tauanuu also logging starts throughout. That’s eight different starters on the line, which would be the most since Riley took over at USC.

USC will have two 1,000-yard receivers.

The last time a duo of Trojan receivers crossed that mark was 2019, so not that long ago, but it’s been pretty rare around college football the past decade. Less than two teams on average per year, to be exact. Still, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon both cross that mark. Lemon’s last eight games of 2024 put him on pace for more than 1,000 yards already, and that was with a much less potent downfield passing game for most of the season. Lane might be the more unlikely of the two to reach this mark, but I’m betting on talent. He has to see more targets this season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a target share for the two of them that nears 50%. In the bowl game, the two of them saw a combined 18 targets, a 46% target share.

Walker Lyons will be USC’s most productive tight end.

This is no shade on Lake McRee, who has been a reliable tentpole of the Trojans’ attack for a while now. But Lyons is just the sort of tight end that should thrive in Riley’s offense. More than anyone Riley has worked with yet at USC, Lyons is more in the mold of Mark Andrews, who emerged as one of the top tight ends in college football in Riley’s first season at Oklahoma. Like Andrews, he came to college as more of a skilled receiver learning to play inline. Now it’s clear he’s ready for the next step. A breakout season could be incoming.

USC will have three first-round picks next April.

A look at recent history might suggest that I’m crazy. USC had three players drafted total last spring and haven’t seen three Trojans drafted in the first round since 2009. Alas, I’m still not deterred. Either or both of Lemon and Lane could hear their names called in the first round. Kamari Ramsey might have been a first-round pick last season, if he’d declared, and Gentry has all the tools to make it happen. It’s not crazy to think that others could enter the chat too. With a huge breakout season, Maiava, Paige and defensive tackle Devan Thompkins are intriguing cases to consider. Though, the first round might be a bit too optimistic.

USC will rediscover its pass rush.

Count me as someone who believes USC’s defense takes another step forward. And I expect that progress will be most apparent in the defensive front, where USC could barely conjure a pass rush last season. Braylan Shelby led the 2024 defense with … three measly sacks. I expect we’ll see five different Trojan pass rushers pass that number this season. Gentry and sophomore Kameryn Fountain are both capable of reaching double-digit sacks, while Shelby, Anthony Lucas and freshman Jahkeem Stewart each are sure to chip in a handful on their own. Judging by early praise, Stewart could very well be the team’s best pass rusher by December.

Have your own bold takes or predictions that you want to get on the record in the next Times of Troy newsletter? Send them to me at [email protected], and I’ll include some of the best ones next week.

Makai Lemon

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

—The NCAA’s 2010 sanctions of USC only get more insane by the year. This week, the NCAA issued its punishment in the Michigan sign-stealing scandal. Aside from a $20-million fine, which is substantial, the punishment reflected how much has changed societally since 2010, and the reality of how toothless the NCAA has become. That wasn’t the case in 2010, when the NCAA dropped the hammer on USC, taking away 30 scholarships and banning them from bowl games for two seasons amid the Reggie Bush saga, while the BCS stripped the school of its 2004 title. That punishment was devastating primarily to players who had nothing to do with the crime. This latest ruling clearly tried to avoid that, which is a commendable change from the NCAA. But it did understandably upset some USC fans who are still frustrated with how they were treated in a case that had far less of an actual influence on the field.

—Special teams coach Ryan Dougherty understands USC’s placekicking hasn’t been good enough. Michael Lantz hit just 14 of his 21 attempts (66.7%) last season. Denis Lynch hit 10 of 14 (71%) in 2023 and 15 of 22 in 2022 (68.2%). A few more made field goals last season might have made the difference in some of USC’s narrow losses. This season, Dougherty will put his faith in sophomore Caden Chittenden, who set the Mountain West record last year for a freshman kicker with 26 made field goals. Chittenden seems like a safe bet to be a significant improvement at a position that’s been lacking during Riley’s tenure.

—Makai Lemon will be USC’s top punt returner. Some of you might wonder why USC would invite the added risk of having Lemon return punts. But Riley wouldn’t even entertain that line of thinking this week. The coach said that “there’s nothing anyone would do that would keep us from playing them on punt return.” Given how electric Lemon can be in the return game, I get it. USC has just one punt return touchdown during Riley’s entire tenure. That unit needs to be better.

—Rawlinson Stadium is officially open. Which means the first step of USC’s $200-million Athletics West capital project is complete. Reporters were invited last week on a tour of the Trojans’ gleaming new soccer and lacrosse stadium, and let’s just say it’s a significant improvement on their old home, McAlister Field. McAlister could barely fit 1,000 people, didn’t have lights and didn’t even have locker rooms for the team. Rawlinson has a capacity of 2,500, a press box, viewing decks for fans and a video board, while the lockers are customized based on feedback directly from the players. Women’s soccer coach Jane Alukonis made clear to reporters how much Rawlinson would influence the program’s recruiting efforts. USC invested $38 million to make it happen. Now we can see why.

In case you missed it

Michigan hit with major fine for sign-stealing scheme. Jim Harbaugh’s NCAA exile extended 10 years

Micah Banuelos works to make up for lost time as USC aims to build its strongest offensive line

Why USC is not in the AP Top 25 preseason poll

What I’m reading this week

Todd Marinovich reacts as he scores against Michigan in the Rose Bowl game, Jan. 1, 1990.

(Bob Galbraith / Associated Press)

So much has been written about Todd Marinovich over the years, but never has he written about his harrowing journey in his own words until now. In “Marinovich: Outside the Lines of Football, Art, and Addiction”, the former USC quarterback opens up a vein, giving readers an unvarnished look at how he went from child prodigy and “Robo Quarterback” to drug addict and NFL washout. It’s rare that athletes really examine themselves at the level that Marinovich does in this autobiography. He even tries to correct the record about his father, Marv, who he writes was a “thorny scapegoat.”

If you find Marinovich and his story of redemption at all interesting, I’d recommend checking it out.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where the college football offseason is now fully in the rearview mirror. USC opened its preseason camp last week, and already, my arms are a deep shade of red from failure to wear sunscreen at practice.

We’re back, baby.

This is the time of year when anything is possible. (Except for me getting an even tan.) Now is the time to convince yourself of your team’s unproven quarterback. Or buy into the hype about the rebuilt defensive line. Maybe you even start to come around on that coach you said you’d never trust again.

There’s plenty of time for us to get cynical in the next several weeks. But for this week, let’s consider what a best-case scenario might look like for USC’s season.

Let’s start here: I don’t think it’s crazy to convince yourself of a world where Lincoln Riley could lead USC to the College Football Playoff.

I’m not suggesting that’s the likely outcome. (In my actual opinion, it’s not.) But since we’re wearing our cardinal-and-gold-colored glasses this morning, let’s consider what that path might look like.

It’s safe to assume that a berth in the playoff would require winning 10 games. Just one team got in with three losses last year — Clemson — and that’s only because they had an automatic bid.

USC’s two toughest games of the season, by far, are its road tilts against Notre Dame and Oregon. I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which the Trojans escape with two wins against surefire top-10 teams on the road. Losses in both would, in turn, require USC to run the table in their other 10. That’s not easy, no matter who you are. So in any scenario that ends with USC slipping into the playoff probably starts with stealing a win in one of Eugene or South Bend.

There are plenty of other points in the road where the Trojans could still stumble. If USC can afford to lose just one other game to maintain its playoff candidacy, as last year’s field suggests, that means it must win at least three of these four games: Michigan and Iowa, at home, and Illinois and Nebraska, on the road. All four feel like coin flips, as of early August.

Not only that, but USC also can’t afford to blow any of its games against inferior conference opponents such as Purdue, Michigan State and Northwestern. That shouldn’t be a problem. But, well … you never know.

Even in a best-case scenario, it’s reasonable to expect at least one loss in that crop of seven games. But if somehow USC emerged from its second Big Ten season with a 10-2 record, USC would probably punch its first ticket to the College Football Playoff.

It’s just that simple. Right?

Well … not exactly. But we’re staying optimistic here! Which, in this 10-win scenario, means first and foremost that USC’s defense — and its defensive line in particular — will have taken a major step forward in Year 2 under D’Anton Lynn. Defensive end Kameryn Fountain and defensive tackle Devan Thompkins will have lived up to their preseason hype with All-Big Ten seasons, while Eric Gentry will lead the Big Ten in sacks before skyrocketing into the first round of the upcoming NFL draft.

It’s not that difficult to imagine, really. But that sort of leap on defense probably also means more suitors for Lynn in the offseason — either in the NFL or as a college head coach — which is a problem for another day.

The best-case scenario for USC’s offense, meanwhile, starts with a breakout season for quarterback Jayden Maiava, who, in this hypothetical, proves to be a much better fit for Riley’s offense than Miller Moss was a year ago. USC throws deep more often than ever before under Riley, establishing itself again as one of the most explosive offenses in college football. Maiava manages to limit the back-breaking mistakes that plagued him late last season and even leads a few game-winning drives in the fourth quarter.

A steady rushing attack, in this scenario, is key to keeping the pressure off of Maiava, as Riley, following an offseason of soul-searching, finally realizes the true meaning of leaning on the run. Waymond Jordan, in turn, puts together a breakout season in USC’s backfield and becomes a household name in the Big Ten, while the offensive line manages to avoid any major injuries.

None of those things feel impossible, on their own. Actually reaching that best-case scenario, however, requires a significant number of those variables tilting the Trojans’ way.

Could it happen? Of course. But with so much uncertainty, this USC season could just as easily veer in the other direction, too.

Next week, we’ll talk about what that could look like — and how low the Trojans could potentially go, if everything happens to go awry.

Three questions with … Matt Leinart

Matt Leinart with the Trojans in 2004.

(Los Angeles Times)

The Heisman-winning quarterback and FOX analyst joined me to give his thoughts on USC, on behalf of Abbott’s “We Give Blood” drive, which encourages Big Ten fans to donate.

The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Question: What excites you about this USC roster? Where do you have questions?

Leinart: What excites me is — there’s always expectation at USC — but we’re flying under the radar. I don’t even think we’re in the top 25 preseason, which is fine. We made strides on defense last year with Coach Lynn. I thought he was fantastic. We’ve gotten a lot of big dudes in the portal, which we need. We needed the size up front. I’m excited to see what Jayden does with a full year and a full offseason ahead of Year 2 in Lincoln’s system. The schedule is kind of favorable, like you have some games you can win there and really make a run. To me, this year is about finishing for them. Last year they were very close in a lot of games, but close doesn’t win you football games. You’ve gotta learn how to finish, and if you can learn how to finish, that’s just a mindset. Just going out there knowing that when you go into the fourth quarter, that’s where you’re going to win the game. If they can develop that and that becomes ingrained in who you are as a team and as a player, they’re going to be pretty good. I think they’re underrated, and I think they have a chance to make a run. I really do. Now they just have to go out and prove that.

Question: What do you need to see out of Lincoln Riley in Year 4?

Leinart: Look, and I’m close with Lincoln. He knows what he needs to do. He knows what the team needs to do. He understands the frustrations that even someone like myself has as an alumni and a proud Trojan and someone who covers college football. But at the end of the day, he can’t worry about all that. I think with Lincoln, there’s always been a question: Are his teams tough enough? Are his teams physical enough? And I think that’s something they’ve really come out and attacked on both sides of the ball and with some of the coaching hires that he’s made. You don’t get a lot of time these days to build something. Look at Jim Harbaugh. It took him until Year 7 to win a national championship. There were a couple years where, gosh, we would talk on Big Noon like, ‘Should Jim Harbaugh be fired?’ And look what happened. Patience is hard to come by. That’s what I tell my kids all the time. But this is kind of the year, where he’s got to flip that script and that narrative.

Question: Who’s someone flying under the radar on this team that you expect to take a big step forward this season?

Leinart: Gosh. The receivers? Makai Lemon is one of my favorite players. I know he’s not technically under-the-radar. But like this is a breakout year for him, I think. Jayden is under the radar. I think he’s going to be fantastic. Year 2, and he showed a lot last year. And this might be a different Lincoln Riley offense, where they run the ball more and they’re more physical as he gets better. On defense, I love Anthony Lucas. I hope he steps up. And Jahkeem Stewart, the big-time freshman, I’ve heard like, ‘He’s so young, but he’s going to be a monster.’ Then there’s the couple guys we got from the SEC in the portal on the D-line. I’m excited.

—Lincoln Riley called on the NCAA to “do the right thing” with DJ Wingfield. But his case is with the courts now. Riley had refrained from saying much about the circumstances surrounding Wingfield, who’s now suing the NCAA in hopes of an injunction that would allow him to play this season. But asked about it on Friday, Riley made his frustration with the NCAA quite clear. “It isn’t right,” he said. “I haven’t seen anything like it in all my years of coaching.” He was frank about the fact that Wingfield is “not doing very good.” He’s not the only one across the country caught in a similar limbo as the NCAA tries to put its foot down on enforcing its Five-Year Rule for eligibility. To me, it feels pretty callous of the NCAA to loosen the reins after the Diego Pavia case, only to tighten them once again after the House settlement. I understand Riley’s angst with the NCAA. But the reality is the case is now with the courts. A hearing is set for Friday, and no one I’ve spoken with seems to have a good feel for what the judge might rule. If the judge grants Wingfield a temporary restraining order, he’d be ready to start practicing by the time our next newsletter drops.

—Notre Dame is willing to play the USC game early in the season. So now what? In a sitdown with reporters, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua opened the door for at least one concession to USC in negotiations over the rivalry series. USC, at the moment, is still holding strong with the rest of the Big Ten on pushing for four automatic qualifiers to the College Football Playoff. But if that plan goes nowhere, which at this point seems likely, then I don’t see why USC and Notre Dame wouldn’t be able to iron something out to keep the series alive.

—Offensive line reinforcements are on the way in USC’s 2026 class. The rich got richer on the recruiting trail last week as USC nabbed the commitment of Breck Kolojay, a fast-rising interior line prospect from IMG Academy. That gives the Trojans seven (!!) commits on the offensive line, which would be the largest line class in recent memory at USC. That group is headlined by the nation’s top offensive tackle prospect, Keenyi Pepe, who just happens to be Kolojay’s teammate at IMG. USC already added four freshman linemen to the mix in 2025, giving the program a pretty solid foundation up front for the foreseeable future.

In case you missed it

Tobias Raymond is now a key cog — and de facto grillmaster — on uncertain USC offensive line

USC trusts new strength coach Trumain Carroll to help Trojans open and finish strong

Offensive lineman DJ Wingfield files lawsuit against NCAA in bid to play for USC

What I’m watching this week

Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, and Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler in “The Diplomat.”

(Netflix)

I’m a little late to the party, but “The Diplomat” on Netflix has been a pleasant surprise during a slow TV summer. The main draw for me was Keri Russell, who is at her best when playing a character as prickly as possible — i.e. her phenomenal work on “The Americans.” This role, as U.S. Ambassador Kate Wyler, definitely fits that bill. The back-and-forth between her and her husband, played by Rufus Sewell, is worth the price of admission alone. But it’s the unexpected twists and turns of the story that will keep you hooked. After burning through one season in a few days, my wife and I have already dug into Season 2.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where the last gasps of our football-free summer are upon us. USC’s fall camp begins Wednesday, and from then on, this newsletter will be back in your inbox every Monday.

I want to thank you all again for subscribing to The Times of Troy. I’m overwhelmed by how many of you jumped on board in Year 1 and thrilled to be back for Year 2. I’ve got a lot of new ideas to bring to you this season. But for this week, let’s keep it simple.

With fall camp looming, here are seven thoughts I have about USC and the season ahead:

USC is going to push it deep more often with Jayden Maiava at quarterback. That’s a good thing. With Miller Moss at quarterback, USC threw just 10.4% of its passes beyond 20 yards downfield. That’s the lowest rate of passes thrown deep by a starting quarterback during Lincoln Riley’s coaching career. But when Maiava took over the starting job, that rate skyrocketed to 18.1%, the highest rate of deep passes by a quarterback in Riley’s career. That’s where Maiava can make the biggest difference for USC this season, so I expect Riley to continue leaning into it.

Has Husan Longstreet closed the gap at all on Maiava? In the spring, it seemed to me that, while clearly very talented, Longstreet still had a lot to clean up before he was ready to play. We’ve only heard glowing praise of the five-star freshman since, and I expect we’ll see a marked improvement in camp. “He certainly has the ability to help this football team,” Riley said at media day. “In terms of the skill set, there’s not a whole lot more that you want to have.” But the longer he can learn as the backup, the better for USC. I expect it’ll be a while before he pushes for serious playing time.

The college football world is sleeping on Ja’Kobi Lane. The spotlight in USC’s receiving corps swiftly shifted this offseason to Makai Lemon, who some draft analysts apparently see as the No. 1 receiver in the upcoming NFL draft. Lemon is a tremendous talent and deserves all the plaudits he’s getting. But I’m not convinced he’s the best receiver prospect in his own locker room. Lane has all the physical tools you could ask for, and while I don’t expect him to be able to maintain his 28% touchdown rate, I do think Lane can announce himself as the best red zone target in college football this season. The duo of Lane and Lemon could be absolutely lethal, assuming Maiava can get them the ball as much as possible.

Similarly, we’re not talking enough about Eric Gentry. People are quick to forget that Gentry was on his way to an All-American season in 2024 before concussions cut his campaign short. He played in just four games, but I saw enough to know that D’Anton Lynn, unlike his predecessors, understands exactly how to use Gentry’s unique skill set. Add Rob Ryan, USC’s new linebackers coach, into the mix, and you have all the makings of a breakout season. I’m buying all the stock I can before the opener, when everyone else will jump on the bandwagon.

The offensive line is USC’s most glaring question mark ahead of camp. I was concerned before we learned that the NCAA denied DJ Wingfield’s appeal for another season of eligibility. That situation is still up in the air — Wingfield has hired an attorney and will push for an injunction from the court — but USC must go forward assuming the veteran guard won’t be eligible. What does that mean for a line that was already thin? My expectation is that Tobias Raymond would shift inside to right guard, while Justin Tauanuu slots in at right tackle. But count on many combinations being tested over the next month. Micah Banuelos is the other one to watch at guard, if he’s able to stay healthy. As for the rest of the line, USC really needs ascending starters Elijah Paige and Alani Noa to take the leap, if it hopes to stay steady up front.

I believe the hype about USC’s defensive line. I’ve been hurt before when making preseason predictions about USC’s supposedly improved defensive front. But this time really does feel different! The interior of the Trojans line looks as deep as it has in four years under Riley. Keeshawn Silver gives USC an experienced and ferocious nose tackle manning the middle. Devan Thompkins has been turning heads since spring and could be on the verge of a major breakout, while freshman Jahkeem Stewart has an impossibly high ceiling. At defensive end, Anthony Lucas returns, while Kameryn Fountain is one of my picks to impress this fall. Could a unit that was recently USC’s most glaring weakness already become its biggest strength? It’s definitely possible.

Cornerback is the most wide open position battle in camp. Transfer DJ Harvey is a shoo-in at one corner spot, but the other outside spot is very much up for grabs. DeCarlos Nicholson is probably the favorite at the start of camp, but transfer Chasen Johnson or redshirt freshman Braylon Conley, who impressed in spring, could push for the job. Prophet Brown was praised by Riley at media day and probably starts camp as the nickel, but don’t be surprised if others challenge for the role. A lot could still change here.

Some other players I’ll be watching closely through USC’s fall camp … running back Waymond Jordan, wideout Zacharyus Williams, wideout Xavier Jordan, tight end Walker Lyons, linebacker Ta’Mere Robinson, freshman linebacker AJ Tuitele, freshman cornerbacks Alex Graham, James Johnson and RJ Sermons and safety Kennedy Urlacher.

Juju Watkins has a lot of help heading her way.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

—The Big Ten is losing the battle for automatic qualifiers to the playoff. That doesn’t bode well for USC-Notre Dame. The Big Ten coaches fell in line with their commissioner at media day last week, speaking out in favor of having four automatic qualifiers to the College Football Playoff for the top four teams in both the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten. The SEC was once on board with the same format, but recently did an about-face, leaving the two power conferences at a stalemate. I don’t see those differences being resolved any time soon.

—Alijah Arenas is out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury. Will he ever actually play at USC now? It’s hard to imagine worse news for Eric Musselman and the Trojans than losing Arenas, whom everyone in the building believed would be a difference-maker from the jump. The best-case scenario now would likely see the five-star freshman return in February. The worst case would be him never lacing it up for USC. At this point, my expectation would be that the latter is more likely. A lot can change between now and then, though. Maybe he returns for the NCAA tournament. The Arenas family has a lot of respect for Musselman, who also coached Alijah’s father, Gilbert. Maybe they decide that Arenas can raise his draft stock significantly by sticking around an extra season at USC. But if he can leave and be a lottery pick next summer, I can’t imagine he’d pass that up.

—So, who might step up in Arenas’ place? Terrance Williams might be the safest bet at the start, assuming the former Michigan forward is cleared to practice by late August as expected. Amarion Dickerson could also find himself in a larger role. He’s a long, athletic defender who won Horizon League defensive player of the year last year, but wasn’t expected to be a scorer. The reality is that everyone will have to shoulder a bit more of the load without Arenas. Rodney Rice will have to be a true floor general as the primary ballhandler, and Chad Baker-Mazara will have to be a more reliable offensive threat. I’d also expect we see more three-guard lineups with Jordan Marsh — the biggest surprise of summer practice — slotting in alongside Rice and Baker-Mazara.

—USC women’s basketball is building a veritable superteam for the 2026-27 season. A trio of JuJu Watkins, Kennedy Smith and Jazzy Davidson, the No. 1 overall recruit in 2025, was already formidable. But the rich got richer this week, as USC secured a commitment from Saniyah Hall, the No. 1 overall recruit in 2026. Hall is only 16, but was just named the MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup as the American team’s leading scorer. Even on the same floor as Smith and Davidson, she was a difference-maker. But USC’s lineup will be so deep when she arrives, Hall might only be the Trojans’ third option on offense. That’s a good problem to have for Lindsay Gottlieb, who continues to prove herself as one of the college game’s best recruiters. She could add a national title to that resume two seasons from now with all the talent at her disposal.

—USC’s baseball stadium won’t be finished by next season. After suffering through two seasons without a stadium, the Trojans are going to have to wait a little bit longer for all the amenities that come with a sparkling new facility. A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times that Dedeaux Field will definitely be open to fans by the 2026 season, but some of the finishing touches won’t yet be finished on the player’s end. That could mean temporary batting cages or facilities under construction through some of the season. Which has to be frustrating for players and coaches who thought they wouldn’t have to worry about this any longer.

Coverage note

USC is no longer allowing reporters to watch the first 15 or so minutes of practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. That time was usually reserved for only stretching and individual drills, but sometimes there were interesting details to glean. There will be less of those to report this season, and no videos from practice to dissect like the Zapruder film. Interviews will still be held after, and reporters will get to watch some scrimmage action this fall. So, we persist!

In case you missed it

Miller Moss gives back to Palisades community by hosting youth football camp

With knee injury, USC’s Alijah Arenas and Eric Musselman weather another setback

USC women’s basketball lands another No. 1 recruit in Saniyah Hall

Plaschke: At sagging USC, Lincoln Riley should be on the hottest of hot seats

USC’s Lincoln Riley feeling ‘refreshed’ as pressure mounts to win in Year 4

Lincoln Riley ‘absolutely’ wants to keep USC-Notre Dame game on schedule

What I’m watching this week

Danny DeVito arrives at the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” 20th anniversary event this month.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision)

It’s not often that a TV show finds its stride again in its 17th season, but that’s what’s happening right now with “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Already one of the funniest and most enduring comedies of all time, somehow Sunny finds itself in the middle of another mid-series heat check. The recent “Is it Cake?” episode, in my book, belongs in the pantheon of Sunny episodes. Which is saying something.

Until next time….

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.