USC installed as huge favorite for the season opener
Betting lines for college football’s opening weekend were released by BetOline and the USC Trojans have been installed as huge favorites in Lincoln Riley’s first game in cardinal and gold.
USC is a 34-point favorite over Rice.
Both teams finished the 2021 season with 4-8 records. But the Trojans have done just a bit of housekeeping since then.
Head coach Lincoln Riley arrived from Oklahoma, bringing with him a stellar five-year record as head coach of the Sooners. The Trojans have a new defensive coordinator in Alex Grinch and a new offensive coordinator in Josh Henson.
The Trojans have also completely overhauled the roster. Thirteen new players arrived in time for spring ball. That number included quarterback Caleb Williams, the top prize in this year’s transfer portal.
Also joining the roster are more than a few expected starters or heavy contributors. Running backs Travis Dye (Oregon) and Austin Jones (Stanford) could get a bulk of the carries this season. Wide receivers Mario Williams (Oklahoma), Brenden Rice (Colorado) and Terrell Bynum (Washington) could be key members of the two-deep if not starters.
Offensive lineman Bobby Haskins (Virginia) will be given a shot to prove he deserves one of the starting tackle spots.
And on defense, rush end Romello Height (Auburn) and inside linebackers Shane Lee (Alabama) and Eric Gentry (Arizona State) have completely remade those position groups. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (Colorado) is a likely starter in the secondary. And a number of other additions will be key players this fall.
It’s a different feel from last season, when USC went into the first game against San Jose State as 14-point favorites. USC’s last game as a favorite in 2021 was the homecoming contest against Arizona. The Trojans were underdogs in the final four games and lost all four.
USC in Season Openers
USC did not get out of the box quickly during Clay Helton’s tenure.
Last season, the Trojans posted a 30-7 win against San Jose State in a game that was 13-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
In 2019, a late interception allowed USC to hold on for a 31-23 win against Fresno State.
The disastrous 2018 season begain with a 43-21 win against UNLV that required 24 fourth-quarter points from the Trojans to turn a five-point game into a more comfortable win.
The 2017 season saw USC win the Pac-12 championship. But the Trojans needed another big fourth quarter to win the opener. USC and Western Michigan opened the fourth quarter in a 21-21 tie.
In 2016, the Trojans played Alabama in a neutral site game and the score was…not pretty.
USC kicks off its 2022 season against Rice in the Coliseum on September 3. Game time is still to be announced.
