The USC Trojans still have a very good team but they are no longer a powerhouse and they are not getting as much respect at the sportsbook. The Trojans are 19-point favorites at the sportsbook company in their season opener at Hawaii.
Sportsbook website odds list USC as the second choice behind Oregon to win the Pac-10 this season. The Trojans were hit with NCAA penalties and they are already feeling the effects. The team will not play in a bowl game this season and they may not even be awarded the Pac-10 title even if they finish in first place. USC has been practicing with 70 scholarship players which are 15 under the limit. Head coach Lane Kiffin has even limited practice time because he is worried about losing players to injury.
The Trojans normally would have more practice time but with fewer players available, Kiffin didn’t want to risk losing player to injury. It will mean that USC is not as prepared to play this season. The loss of the scholarships also means that USC’s depth is less. When a team is laying big points, second string players can often times decide whether a team covers the spread at the sportsbook company or not. USC is definitely not a powerhouse anymore and they could struggle to cover big numbers.
USC still has a lot of talent but they are definitely not as deep. The Trojans have been hurt by the sanctions and they will really struggle in future seasons as the loss of scholarships will really be felt. This year they will win their share of games but they won’t be as easy as in the past. The defense for USC looks strong while the offense could have some troubles. Quarterback Matt Barkley will still make some plays this season and the Trojans will be a factor in the Pac-10 but they are now just another team, not the leader.
USC has a pretty easy opening schedule so they should beat Hawaii, Virginia, Minnesota and Washington State to start 4-0. They won’t know how good they are until they play Washington, Stanford, Cal and Oregon. If the Trojans struggle after starting the season with easy games it could end up being a long season at USC.