O/NSO: Game 1 – Rice at No. 14 USC edition ­

The Obvious: All the talk is over; the preseason hype will now give way to reality. The long-awaited 2022 debut of first-year head coach Lincoln Riley and his No. 14 USC Trojans is finally here and literally figures to get off to a hot start, as the temperature for Saturday afternoon’s 3 p.m. (PT) season opener against Rice in the Coliseum is forecast to reach a scorching 98 degrees with sunny skies. The Not So Obvious: The Trojans were optimistic regarding a potential Coliseum sellout (77,500) for a season opening game that figures to be a rout, but fan turnout could be greatly affected by the relentless, heated weather conditions in Los Angeles. That being said, after the shocking hire of Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma last November, the heralded transfusion of talent through the transfer portal and general overhaul of the USC roster, the highly re-energized Trojans fan base is giddy with anticipation. The big question for the “new” cardinal and gold may be how Troy looks against the Rice Owls.