Expectations are a dangerous drug. Back in August 2023, if you walked around the University of Southern California campus or scrolled through any Pac-12 message board, the vibe was basically "National Championship or bust." Why wouldn't it be? You had the reigning Heisman winner in Caleb Williams, a second-year head coach in Lincoln Riley who was supposed to be the "Quarterback Whisperer," and a transfer portal class that looked like a fantasy football roster.
Then the actual games happened.
The usc 2023 football schedule started as a victory lap and ended as a cautionary tale. It’s the kind of season that makes you realize having the best player in the country doesn't matter if your defense gives up yards like they’re handing out flyers on a street corner. Honestly, looking back at the schedule now, the red flags were there early on. We just chose to ignore them because Caleb was making plays that didn't seem humanly possible.
A Front-Loaded Schedule of False Hope
The season kicked off in late August with a "Week 0" game against San Jose State. USC won 56-28. Everyone focused on the 56 points, but a few people whispered about the 28. Should a Mountain West team really be scoring four touchdowns on a title contender?
The early slate was basically a highlight reel. They dismantled Nevada 66-14 and crushed Stanford 56-10. By the time they hit the road for the first time against Arizona State on September 23, the Trojans were ranked in the top five.
But things started getting weird in Tempe.
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USC won 42-28, but it felt... clunky? The defense was starting to show those cracks. Then came the Colorado game. This was at the height of "Deion-mania." Every celebrity on the planet was on the sidelines in Boulder. USC jumped out to a massive lead, and then almost let the Buffaloes come back, eventually winning 48-41. You’ve got to wonder if that was the moment the locker room started feeling the pressure.
The first half of the usc 2023 football schedule was essentially a high-wire act. They were 6-0, but they were playing with fire. They survived a triple-overtime heart-stopper against Arizona at the Coliseum, winning 43-41. At that point, the "vibes" were still okay, but the stats were screaming for help.
The Notre Dame Nightmare and the November Collapse
Everything changed on October 14. A trip to South Bend is always a massive circle on the calendar, but for the 2023 squad, it was the beginning of the end. Notre Dame didn't just beat USC; they embarrassed them.
Caleb Williams had arguably the worst game of his life, throwing three interceptions in a 48-20 loss. It was a reality check that the Trojans never truly recovered from.
If you look at the back half of the usc 2023 football schedule, it's a brutal list of "what-ifs."
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- Utah (Oct 21): A 34-32 loss at home. Another last-second field goal by the Utes. This one really stung because it felt like a repeat of the 2022 Pac-12 title game.
- California (Oct 28): They barely escaped Berkeley with a 50-49 win. Cal! Cal almost dropped 50 on them.
- Washington (Nov 4): This was the final nail. A 52-42 shootout where the defense looked like they were playing in slow motion. After this game, Lincoln Riley finally fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. It was a "too little, too late" move.
- Oregon (Nov 11): A 36-27 loss in Eugene. The score actually makes it look closer than it was.
- UCLA (Nov 18): The Rivalry. The Victory Bell. UCLA walked into the Coliseum and dominated 38-20.
Ending the regular season with three straight losses was something nobody saw coming in August. The Trojans went from being a playoff lock to a team just trying to find enough healthy bodies for a bowl game.
The Holiday Bowl: A Glimpse of the Post-Caleb Era
Caleb Williams did what most projected top-five picks do: he opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL. Most fans expected the Holiday Bowl against Louisville to be another disaster.
Instead, Miller Moss happened.
In a weird twist of fate, the final game of the usc 2023 football schedule turned into the most optimistic moment of the year. Moss threw six touchdowns—a bowl record—and USC looked loose. They won 42-28. It was the first time in months the team actually looked like they were having fun.
What We Learned from the 2023 Campaign
Looking back, the 2023 season was a masterclass in the importance of balance. You can't just out-offense your problems forever. The Trojans finished the year 8-5. For most programs, 8-5 is a solid year. For USC in 2023, it was a failure of massive proportions.
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The defense was the obvious culprit. They finished 121st out of 133 teams in points allowed per game. You aren't winning anything significant giving up 34.4 points every Saturday.
But it wasn't just the defense. The offensive line struggled against elite pass rushes, and the run game was often abandoned when things got tight. Riley's "Air Raid" was explosive, but it lacked the "punch you in the mouth" physicality needed to beat teams like Utah or Notre Dame.
Actionable Insights for the Future:
If you're a Trojan fan or just a college football junkie, here is what 2023 taught us about where the program has to go:
- Defense is not optional: The hiring of D'Anton Lynn from UCLA right after the season ended showed that Riley finally realized he couldn't just ignore that side of the ball.
- Roster Depth over Star Power: Relying on one or two "superstars" to mask systemic issues on the lines doesn't work in a 12-game grind.
- The Big Ten Shift: 2023 was the final Pac-12 run. Moving to the Big Ten means the "track meet" style of play will have to evolve into something more durable.
The 2023 schedule wasn't just a list of games; it was a 13-week lesson in how quickly things can unravel in modern college football.