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The USC Trojans were given the No. 1 overall ranking as the Associated Press released their preseason top 25 poll on Saturday. All eyes will be on Matt Barkley and crew this season in SoCal, which should make for a great season as every team guns for the nation's top team. Let's take a look at the Trojans schedule for the upcoming season and identify any potential upsets waiting to happen.
You'll find the dates listed for each game, as well as if that team received a ranking in the poll. Per the new Pac-12 scheduling rules, USC does not play Washington St. or Oregon St. this year.
9/1 - Hawaii
9/8 - Syracuse
9/15 - @ #21 Stanford
9/22 - California
10/4 - @ Utah
10/13 - @ Washington
10/20 - Colorado
10/27 - @ Arizona
11/3 - #5 Oregon
11/10 - Arizona State
11/17 - @ UCLA
11/24 - Notre Dame
The biggest game is certainly the showdown with Oregon. The Ducks will be looking for revenge after the Trojans pulled the upset last year in Eugene, and a spot in the national championship may very well be on the line.
Another key game will be the trip to Stanford. They lost Andrew Luck and most of their offensive line, but the Cardinal return a strong defense and star running back Stepfan Taylor. The Trip to Washington will not be an easy one given their ability to put points on the board in a hurry. In the regular season finale, a visit from the Fighting Irish is always fun.
For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.