2011 USC Trojans Football Predictions, Odds, Picks and Schedule – 2011 Southern Cal NCAA Football Preview

2011 USC Trojans College Football Expert Predictions, Picks, Vegas Odds and Schedule – Southern Cal NCAA Football Preview: Everyone knew the Trojans were in trouble off the field heading into the 2010-11 season, but no one could have envisioned the disaster the unfolded on the field. USC went 8-5 in its first year with Lane Kiffin at the helm, getting absolutely torched on defense on a regular basis. Throw in a loss to rival Notre Dame, and the Trojans’ opponents did as much damage to the programs reputation as the NCAA penalties did. Pending the result of an appeal, USC probably won’t be eligible to play in the postseason. That being said, the pride of the former national power is on the line this season as the Trojans look to bounce back.

The good news for Kiffin and company is that the Trojans return an absolutely loaded offensive. Junior quarterback Matt Barkley is one of the best pro-style QBs in the nation, and he has been starting since his freshman season. Another year of experience should only make Barkley more effective. He gives the Trojans a star and a leader on offense, and if USC rebounds in 2011-12, Barkley will be the biggest reason.

 In typical USC fashion, there is plenty of talent at the skill positions. Sophomore receiver Robert Woods is already one of the best in the nation, and true freshman George Farmer – the top-rated high school receiver – joins the mix this year as well. Throw in reliable, pass-catching tight end Rhett Ellison, and the Trojans’ offense doesn’t look all that much different from the squads that were lighting up opponents with Pete Carroll running the show.

Senior running back Marc Tyler will be the workhorse for the USC ground game after finishing last season with more than 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. While Tyler will certainly give the Trojans a legitimate threat on the ground, his production and the production of the offense in general will depend on the development of the offensive line. Just two starters are back, but at least star left tackle Matt Kalil is one of them. As long as the line can gel quickly, the USC offense should be among the best in the PAC-12.

The offense can out up as many points as it wants, but the Trojans aren’t going to have much success this year if the defense doesn’t improve. USC gave up more than 400 yards of offense per game last year, and that total is unacceptable for a unit loaded with top-tier recruits and coached by Monte Kiffin. With five starters are back for the front seven, including NFL-caliber linebacker Devon Kennard and defensive end Nick Perry. The secondary boasts standout safety T.J. McDonald, but the cornerbacks are a question mark. The USC group has plenty of talent, but focus and dedication were a major issue last season. If the players buy in to the system, the defense will be one of the better units in the conference. If they have a repeat of last season, progress will be minimal.

Thanks to a relatively top heavy PAC-12, the Trojans have a manageable schedule in 2011-12. Out-of-conference matchups against Syracuse and Minnesota aren’t exactly scary, and rival UCLA has to come to the Coliseum. USC does catch quality opponents California, Notre Dame, Arizona State and Oregon on the road this season, along with a home matchup against the Stanford Cardinal, but even a majority of those games aren’t out of reach by any means.

The Trojans are always going to be stocked with talented players regardless of what is going on off and on the field. Kiffin had a top-five recruiting class for this season and is already ranked in the top 10 for the coming year. Despite all the talent that USC has, it is going to be hard to motivate a team that already knows that the postseason isn’t waiting for them at the end of the year. There will be glimpses of just how good the Trojans can be this season, but in the end, there will be too many mental lapses to win the big games. USC isn’t knocking off Stanford and Oregon in the PAC-12 this season.

2011 USC Trojans College Football Predictions: 4-8 Record

Preseason 2011 USC Trojans NCAA Football Odds:
Odds to Win 2012 BCS Championship: Inelgible
Odds to Win 2011 PAC 12 Championship: Inelgible
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2011 USC Trojans College Football Schedule
Sat, Sep 3 Minnesota 3:30 pm —
Sat, Sep 10 Utah 7:30 pm —
Sat, Sep 17 Syracuse 8:00 pm —
Sat, Sep 24 at Arizona State 10:15 pm —
Sat, Oct 1 Arizona TBA —
Thu, Oct 13 at California 9:00 pm —
Sat, Oct 22 at Notre Dame 7:30 pm —
Sat, Oct 29 Stanford 8:00 pm —
Fri, Nov 4 at Colorado 9:00 pm —
Sat, Nov 12 Washington 3:30 pm —
Sat, Nov 19 at Oregon 8:00 pm —
Sat, Nov 26 UCLA 10:00 pm —

Check out NSAwins.com’s official 2011 College Football Over Under Team Wins Odds and Predictions and 2011 PAC 12 Football Odds and Predictions articles.

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