USC Football: How Trojans, Louisville Rosters Have Been Adversely Impacted By Player Departures

Both of these rosters will look a bit different for this bowl game

Your 7-5 USC Trojans will take on the 10-3 Louisville Cardinals today in the 45th edition of the Holiday Bowl. This year, it will be sponsored by DIRECTV for the first time in its existence. 

The Trojans will look to end the season on the right note after finishing the regular season on a sour note, losing to their rivals, the UCLA Bruins. However, the Trojans will look vastly different for this matchup as they will miss nearly two dozen players, including their Heisman-winning quarterback, Caleb Williams. His presence will be missed, but it's obvious why he won't be available for today's game. 

The Trojans aren't alone in this category. The Cardinals will also be without a handful of players, a dozen to be specific, including their top rusher and receiver, Jawha Jordan and Jamari Thrash, as they both declared for the draft. 

These programs aren't the only ones going through these changes, whether players enter the draft or the transfer portal. This is the new norm in college football when teams play in a lesser bowl game. 

This is college football, and Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm recognizes that. 

“You’re going to have opt-outs every year from here going forward,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “What you’ve got to do is use this as a steppingstone for the next year. Every year it’s going to be new players that have to step up. It just happens that nowadays it’s going to be in the bowl game where guys have to step up and perform.

“So I don’t see it as anything more than preparing your team for what you could possibly look like for the next year.”

(per Jeff Brohm via San Diego Tribune)

Most of the starters are out, many of the backups are in, and it will be their time to shine. 

Be prepared to learn some of these player's names, as they will fight for a spot on the team next season (if they want).