It is not the NCAA Football Playoffs. It’s not even a bowl game for the New Year’s Six. This year, USC football will compete in the Holiday Bowl. Needless to say, this is not where Trojans fans expected them to be by the end of the season.
USC (7-5) was a preseason No. 6 team that was expected to win the Pac-12 and finish in the top four, either in the Rose Bowl or the Sugar Bowl, to compete in the playoff. However, after starting 6-0, they quickly got exposed, winning only one more game all season and maybe losing more. They are no longer ranked and have not been since losing 52-42 to Washington on November 4. Alex Grinch, the defensive coordinator, was also fired.
No. 15 Louisville, on the other hand, stunned everyone by finishing second in the ACC this year. Jeff Brohm led the Cardinals to the conference championship game in his debut season with the team. However, the Cardinals’ bowl location provides some cause for concern. Because Florida State was left out of the College Football Playoff, the Seminoles earned a spot in the Orange Bowl, which would ordinarily go to the second-placed ACC team. As a result, Florida State’s snub harmed more than just them, despite the fact that they clearly received the roughest treatment.
Can Lincoln Riley and the Trojans football team escape another big letdown by losing their sixth game in a row? Will Brohm and the Cardinals win 11 games in a row for the first time since 2013? Let’s get started with some daring Holiday Bowl predictions.
Miller Moss of USC throws for 200 yards and a touchdown.
Caleb Williams, the former Heisman Trophy winner, will, predictably, skip the Holiday Bowl, putting Miller Moss in the starting lineup. Moss completed 23-of-32 passes for 309 yards and a score while appearing in four games this season. However, Moss
Zachariah Branch will also be without running back Marshawn Lloyd and wide receiver Brenden Rice due to an early start in 2024.
It will be tough to accurately predict what USC football will look like in the Holiday Bowl compared to the 2024 season, especially at quarterback, let alone starting in a new conference in the Big Ten. After showing glimpses in 2023, Zachariah Branch can begin to build on a bright new season.
Branch only had 37 plays from scrimmage and was injured for the majority of the season, but when he did play, he caught 29 passes for 311 yards, averaging 10.7 yards per play and scoring three touchdowns. If Branch is healthy, don’t be shocked to see Riley use him extensively, with several receptions and runs.
USC is held to 100 yards or fewer rushing by the Louisville football defense.
According to NCAA statistics, the Cardinals had the 12th-best running defense in the country, keeping opponents to 102 yards rushing per game at 3.32 yards per rush. The Trojans will struggle to run the ball without their leading rusher, Marshawn Lloyd. Not to mention how the offensive line struggled at the conclusion of the season, which can’t auger well for USC.
In the Holiday Bowl, Louisville football defeated USC.
I would have predicted an upset, and it still might be for some if you haven’t checked the betting odds. According to FanDuel, USC football is currently a seven-point underdog over Louisville. Most of that could be attributed to USC’s high number of key opt-outs, or it could just be that the Cardinals are a better team. They had a much better season than the Trojans.
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