USC Trojans Football Schedule

Lately, it doesn't seem to matter who is on the USC Trojans football schedule -- the two-time defending champions have been nigh invincible in recent years. Yet every year, you can almost hear the fans of Southern Cal speaking in hushed whispers as they peruse the list of upcoming opponents. How many games will the team play this season? Which opponents will be traveling to the Los Angeles Coliseum? Which foes must USC vanquish away from the friendly confines of their home field? When and where is the Notre Dame game this year? These issues are at the heart of a Trojan fan's preseason preparation, as he or she scours the schedule looking for easy wins, possible losses, and good opportunities to see his or her beloved USC football team take the field live and in living color.

Rivalries Dominate USC Trojans Football Schedule

Each season, the USC Trojans football schedule contains between 10 and 12 match-ups against college football powerhouses, teams on the rise, and longtime Pac-10 rivals. Every year, though, it seems as though the two biggest games of the season are the battles against Notre Dame and UCLA. The 2005 season will mark the 60th consecutive meeting in the longstanding series between the Fighting Irish and the Trojans. The rivalry with the Bruins, on the other hand, dates back to a former Southern Pacific freight train bell that had been used by UCLA after every Bruin touchdown. The bell was swiped by USC in 1941, and a year later, after university president Rufus B. von Kleinsmid threatened to cancel the annual game between the two schools in the midst of continued pranks, both schools agreed to award the newly-titled Victory Bell to each year's winner. In 2004, USC upended each of their long-time rivals, beating the Irish 41-10 and the Bruins 29-24 en route to a National Championship.