USC Football is Back

I’ve been waiting eight months for tonight – the first game of the University of Southern California Trojan’s 2013 football season. Last year, the Trojans started the season ranked #1 in the preseason polls, which of course, I knew would not hold up, despite my unwavering support for USC.

Sure enough, my alma mater wound up diving out of the Top 25 following losses to UCLA (unforgivable), Notre Dame (unforgivable), and (good lord) Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve. It was Coach Lane Kiffin’s worst record (7-5) of his USC head coaching career.

Wittek (l) and Kessler

Worse yet, to start the 2013 season, he can’t make up his mind who this year’s #1 quarterback will be – returning sophomore Max Wittek, who had to fill in for an injured Matt Barkley at the end of the 2012 season, or redshirt sophomore Cody Kessler, a nationally top-ranked quarterback while in high school.

All-American and 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist Marqise Lee, the best receiver in the Pac-12 and possibly the nation, is back after winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.

Senior Silas Redd, the outstanding runner who transferred from Penn State last year, is back. Redd, however, did not make the trip to Hawaii because he’s still recuperating from knee surgery in the spring. Neither will junior D.J. Morgan, the Trojans’ starting tailback, because of an undisclosed injury.

Other names of note: The Hawaii offensive line will have to contend with Hayes Pullard and Leonard Williams. Their defensive line and secondary will have to contend with tight ends Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer.

I hate to use the term, “rebuilding,” but with a new quarterback, whoever he may turn out to be, and a revamped defense, 2013 will be just that.

But then again, in college football, isn’t every season a rebuilding season?

USC over Hawaii by 20. Fight on!