USC football 2023 preview: Record prediction, breakout candidates, bowl game

USC football schedule: Win-loss predictions

• Aug. 26 vs. San Jose State — WIN (1-0)
• Sept. 2 vs. Nevada — WIN (2-0)
• Sept. 9 vs. Stanford — WIN (3-0)
• Sept. 16 BYE
• Sept. 23 at Arizona State — WIN (4-0)
• Sept. 30 at Colorado — WIN (5-0)
• Oct. 7 vs. Arizona — WIN (6-0)
• Oct.14 at Notre Dame — LOSS (6-1)
• Oct. 21 vs. Utah — WIN (7-1)
• Oct. 28 at Cal — WIN (8-1)
• Nov. 4 vs. Washington — WIN (9-1)
• Nov. 11 at Oregon — WIN (10-1)
• Nov. 18 vs. UCLA — WIN (11-1)

The first six games of USC's 2023 season are literal cannon fodder. Arizona has the highest preseason SP+ ranking of the bunch at No. 67.

The back half of the schedule is a murderer's row by comparison, with Cal looking like the only surefire victory for the Trojans. Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA are all likely to push USC to their limit.

That first major road trip of the season to a Notre Dame team with a legitimate quarterback in Sam Hartman will be a real test. The trip to Autzen to face Oregon will be just as tricky.

In the end, USC has something the rest of those teams have: Caleb Williams. Betting on the Heisman winner means projecting a 5-1 record in that stretch.

Final regular-season USC record: 11-1

USC football bowl game prediction

If USC is a one-loss Pac-12 champion, they'll likely punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff. That would mean a final Pac-12 representative in the Rose Bowl.

USC bowl game projection: Rose Bowl vs. Michigan, as the college football gods intended.