I’ve read comments in the media about USC’s “brutal” and “bruising” schedule next year. Does it compare to the nation’s No. 1 schedule in 2016, when USC played three teams in November with 4-8 records?
USC plays three teams next year with first-year coaches (Western Michigan, Texas and Cal). It does not play Washington and Oregon.
That does not mean the schedule is easy. But it is too soon to pontificate. Is USC going to play “good” Notre Dame or “bad” Notre Dame next season? Will it play “good” Arizona Staet or “bad” Arizona State? Can Tom Herman turn Texas around by Game 3?
All questions that cannot be answered confidently today.
Hmmm, I guess making opinions on the schedule only counts in basketball. I remember plenty of opinions commenting on the schedule before the season.
#spelling
Well said my friend. Wolf only speculates on these things when it fits his narrative, which is almost exclusively negative toward USC and some of it’s coaches.
It obviously is a grueling and punishing schedule when the team plays 12 weeks straight without a bye. The somewhat of a saving grace is that the first three games are at home. But at the same token, I think this non-stop schedule could help the team’s resolve and mentality to maintain the competitive edge, thus keeping them sharp for most of the season. However, injuries will become more of a factor with the schedule since there won’t be a mid-season break for the players to heal from minor to moderate injuries.
I think we all have held our breath in the past waiting to see which USC team would take the field after a bye week.
Injuries alway play a role, guys will miss a game or two because of no bye week. Depth comes into play.
Hopefully, they’ll take us to the football heaven after going through the 12 weeks of football hell. LOL!
“…it is too soon to pontificate” – yet that won’t stop the Blogger from pontificating. And I’m sure we haven’t heard the last whine from the Blogger on the schedule.
LOL!
And I’m sure we haven’t heard the last whine about this blog from the Dr. Rachel Maddow of Inside USC.
If Michigan was playing 12 weeks straight the Harbaugh Homer would be telling us how only Harbaugh the man of steel could coach a team through this gauntlet.
Joe Kinsey Busted Coverage
” I actually cared about the AP poll this morning because I wanted to see if Jim Harbaugh homer Scott Wolf at the Los Angeles Daily News would still vote Michigan #1 even after the Iowa loss.”
Michigan rarely plays outside of the state
WW ( Whining Wolfie)
No one pontificates like the great pontificator himself right?
Wolf, The Great Logician!
Scott Wolf is on point with this one, because once again, USC’s so called tough schedule is based on assumptions, and some programs prior reputations.
So is every other team in college football. In the end USC played 6 teams ranked in the top 25. They beat the PAC12 and B1G Champions. They are the Rose Bowl Champions and finished ranked in the top 5 of any poll that matters.
So we really cannot rate a schedule until the season is over. Makes sense to me.
Isn’t that the nature of preseason SOS for every team? That’s why SOS doesn’t deserve any bandwidth at this point in time.
Shouldn’t the title of this post be called “I hate it when people in the media say good things about USC”? Doesn’t the blogger have any good information on recruiting?
The schedule is pretty much the same with the exception of West Michigan and Texas.. It is what it is, just have to do the best they can and prepare as the did after the 1-3 start from last year and play ONE GAME AT A TIME.. 231 days to kick-off, at this point .. The schedule is really meaningless… Why talk about it?
Laziness, and a lack of creativity or insight come to mind
Exactly .
Last year SC played UW.
“Will it play “good” Arizona Staet?”
I don’t know SW. Who is Arizona Staet?
And why does a first year coach matter? Clay Helton won 10 games his first year. Ask Washington or Penn State how that worked out playing a first year head coach.
Jim Harbaugh won 10 games his first year.
David Shaw won 11 games his first year.
Everyone knows this schedule is going to be tough. Last year, SW was making fun of USC’s “tough schedule”. By the end of the season, they played 6 teams in the top 25.
Arizona Staet is the good Arizona school… Arizona State is the bad one. Everyone knows that…
Are they new to the Conference?
Apparently just added this morning. [From here on, kindly refer to our conference as the Pac 13]…..
Lol!!
Pete Carroll won 6 games his first year and John McKay won 4. So it obviously it does matter.
The only person I know who is saying this is, you Scotty. Most people are in a wait and see attitude. The things we are looking for is: Can USC return to the play that they showed in the last four games where no one could stop them, can USC’s defense play like they did in the last four games, who will replace Adoree Jackson, which receivers and o linemen will start next year. How will they do. Fro right now we aren’t worried about the schedule.
We are looking for one more thing: can Sam Darnold lead the team to the national title?
I think a more realistic goal is win the Pac 12 outright and make it to the playoffs.
Look at the schedule and tell me which games we will lose. I see no losses in 2017.
IF we stay healthy, you may be right, gt. Lose a starting left tackle, corner or, heaven forbid, quarterback and it’s a different story.
This is a solid schedule with no cupcakes. Not brutal. ND is the only team SC gets off their bye. Who are the “easy” games? Cal, OSU? Western Michigan would have been an average Big 10 team last year, got talent but new coach. Every body else SC has to be dialed in or they can be beat. SC should be expected to win the conference. One loss or better gets them in the play offs. There will be surprise teams, injuries, weather, who knows. Relax, 7 months to kick off. When is Boatright coming back?
Western Michigan, the ruins, Oregon State and UA aren’t cupcakes?
Trojan success next year will depend on Darnolds ability to stay healthy
You got that right. I wonder if Helton will add some designed runs for Darnold to the playbook at the risk of possible injury. Too early for Sears and don’t trust Fink as backup.
He did well in 2016 staying healthy.
He will be okay if the line comes together. Not to many QB’s in linebackers bodies like Sam.
He will work on his long balls he should be greater than this past season.
Snark.
Why? For the same reason the blogger is posting here. Content. Have to keep feeding the beast. Clicks = revenue. Revenue = paycheck.
Doesn’t really matter what you say. Just say something. And if it’s a hot take that generates more clicks, even better.
A good comment like this would get more up votes if it were posted sooner… just a thought haha
All of you complainig about the spectacular service the WoIfman provides to you for free, you better shut your pie hole! The WoIf has had it up to here with all you ungrateful rah rahs. What if he gives up on you like the great Charlie Bucket? Where will you be then?
Count your blessings and shut it!!
The only universal complaint is the constant negativity. 90% of us appreciate a free site but would like some balance. It is not poor journalism to praise great achievements when they happen.
You chose to support a school which 90% of the news is negative… crimes, cheating, infighting etc. WoIfman is just reporting the news!
WoIfman is the best to ever come out of southern cal!
Troll
4-8 .. Shut up foolio!
Shut your pie hole and get me some chili fries with pickles…
CALL 1 800 7 LIC KME! Beat it clown! #ruinclown
One can sit and fret over how good-imposing an opponent can/will be or, decide its about us in coaching a level of excellence in execution and do what we do…. John Wooden was pretty successful with that attitude.
2017 is NOT a difficult schedule – what Top 25 teams are there? # 15 Stanford, # 21 UT and bel-air tech (in at # 25) potentially also # 7 WA – Pac-12 CCG.
7 home games (West. MI, TX, AZ, Stanford, WA St., UT and ucla) 5 road – Cal, AZ St, CO, OR St. and notre dame
Again, save for the road game @ notre dame this is NOT a difficult schedule
Remember how wrong the experts were last season. There are going to be suprises ahead, always is. The test is can next years team win anyway. That is on the coach.
Agreed ‘but’ USC is not facing 3 of their first 4 games on the road and those road opponents were AL, Stanford and UT. Much tougher then again not sure Helton is capable of going forward after 2017.
The January schedule does look pretty tough though.
I just caught Zake Banner on Wolf’s favorite radio personality Colin Cowherd. Great interview. It’s on you tube go watch it. Maybe if Wolf ever figures out how to record more than 1 minute he could do a decent interview.
Comparing Birdcage’s questions to Cowherd’s shows us all why Cowherd’s on TV every day for several hours and Birdcage is stuck putting up with USC people providing info on his blog.
Banner’s very entertaining. He’ll be on air with his own gig some day, that much is obvious.
I listen to it yesterday on the road. Banner can be serious and witty. I noticed that Cowherd kept calling him a 1st Rounder.
This Birdcage post is a great example of how he never steps up. Just always asks the questions and has no predictions, no answers.
Will SC’s schedule be tough? Will ND be good? Will ASU be good? Will TEXAS be good? Will SC win the NC? Just uninformed questions.
All we really know about Birdcage is that USC won the most thrilling Rose Bowl ever played for Trojan fans, finished as AP’s #3 and if he had his way, Franklin and PSU would have beaten USC and USC would have finished out of the top 10.
Sorry Birdcage. Better luck next time.
Reminds me what the bbald one was saying about Helton and it being his first real season. How did that work out?
Thank goodness we’re catching Western Michigan with a new head coach. Now we might stand a chance of being competitive at least.
Oregon is no longer the litmus test for a strong P-12 schedule, Einstein.