USC Football News: CFB Expert Analyzes Trojans Switch to Big 10 and Tough 2024 Schedule
The USC Trojans are looking forward to their 2023, the last as a member of the Pac-12. They will look to conquer and dominate the Pac-12 in their final season; however, it's tough not to look ahead at their 2024 schedule, the first as members of the Big 10 Conference.
Unfortunately for the Trojans, it won't be an easy transition. In 2024, they will face some gauntlets like Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan, including a neutral game against the LSU Tigers.
Nothing screams 'Welcome to the Big 10' like the 2024 schedule. However, we all knew it wouldn't be easy, and College Football expert from On3 J.D. PicKell says this is exactly what the Trojans signed up for.
“This is the gauntlet for Lincoln Riley and company,” PicKell said. “But this is also what you signed up for. You understood what you were getting when you went to the Big Ten. You could have stayed in the Pac-12. You could have stayed playing Washington State… and that would have been fine for you. But you wanted to go to one of the premier conferences in college football. You understood the tectonic plates are continuing to shift with conference realignment. So, you landed in one of the top conferences in the country and the schedule reflects that.”
This is exactly what USC needs and was hunting for the longest time. Yes, they need to play some of the toughest teams in the nation, but they also have to play USC and Lincoln Riley.
Riley is one of the premier coaches in the nation, and he is a wizard when it comes to developing quarterbacks and elite offenses. SC will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come with Riley at the helm. Riley and staff will continue to have recruiting classes amongst the Top 5-10 in the nation and dominate the transfer portal, in which he always does.
It's not going to be easy, and I think they didn't want it any other way. The Trojans will show they belong and show they are the premier team in the Big 10. It may take some time, but it won't be long SC is that team, even with Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State in that conference.
It won't be easy, but USC will be up for the challenge.
