USC Trojans bowl game projections

Thanks to two-point conversions against Arizona and Cal, the USC Trojans sit at 7-5 and are eligible for a bowl game to cap off the 2023 season. At this point, there’s no consensus on where the Trojans might land. Here’s a look at where various publications have USC slotted and their potential opponents at this point.

ESPN

Mark Schlabach – LA Bowl against UNLV
Dec. 16 – Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium – 4:30 pm

Kyle Bonagura – Sun Bowl against Boston College
Dec. 29 – El Paso, TX – Sun Bowl Stadium – 11:00 am

CBS Sports

Jerry Palm – LA Bowl against UNLV

USA Today

Erick Smith – LA Bowl against Fresno State

FOX Sports

Bryan Fischer – Holiday Bowl against Clemson
Dec. 27 – San Diego – Petco Park – 5:00 pm

Yahoo!

Nick Bromberg – Sun Bowl against Georgia Tech

Athlon Sports

Steven Lassan – LA Bowl against UNLV

Thoughts on USC’s potential bowl game destinations and opponents

At this point, the best landing spot for USC in terms of location is probably the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. It’s difficult to imagine even a small band of Trojan fans making the trip to El Paso for the Sun Bowl. And if USC fans haven’t gotten to experience watching a game at SoFi Stadium yet, it’s an outstanding venue. Though, a football game in a baseball stadium is always fun, and Petco Park for the Holiday Bowl is one of the best.

As far as what USC will be bringing to its bowl game, it starts at the quarterback position and the likelihood that Caleb Williams will not be suiting up for the Trojans. That could make USC a far less desirable selection for a bowl. The Holiday Bowl chooses fifth and can reach down the order of bowl-eligible Pac-12 programs provided the team below slot is within one loss. USC could still finish tied for fourth in the conference if Oregon beats Oregon State. That would make them eligible for selection by the Las Vegas Bowl. But if the assumption is Williams won’t play, USC could drop down below UCLA and Utah if both win this weekend, and land in the LA Bowl.

If USC goes to the LA Bowl and gets matched up with UNLV, it’ll be one of those games where the Trojans have nothing to win and everything to lose. The Rebels are 9-2 this season, have an offense that ranks No. 19 in scoring and No. 24 in rushing, and clearly would be fired up to get a shot at the Trojans in a bowl game. USC would hopefully want to finish the 2023 season on a winning note to go into 2024 with some momentum. It would be a challenge for a team on a three-game losing streak with shattered expectations for this season. But no matter the bowl destination, it’ll be fascinating to see which players respond and step up next month.

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