The USC football team is scheduled to open its season in Las Vegas against Coach Brian Kelly's LSU football team on Sunday, September 1. The game is a chance to show how far Coach Lincoln Riley's team has come since last year's defensive disaster of a season and to stamp its ticket as one of the better major conference teams in all the land.

According to Riley, the USC football program is still playing catch-up in the bold new world of NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deals and payments for college football players. Riley's admission was shared by sports writer Ryan Kartje on X. During the admission, Riley compared USC football's NIL program to carrying a “toy sword” into a gun fight.”

“You don't want to go to a gun fight with a knife,” Riley said. “In the beginning, we were going to a gun fight with a toy sword.”

The Riley comments came amid former coach Pete Carroll's return to USC to coach a class, which included a Matt Leinart mission back to campus that will have USC fans howling. At the same time the USC football biggest X-factor for 2024 was named, and it's not Miller Moss, who was named starting quarterback by Riley recently.

Needless to say, USC football has some catching up to do, at least according to the way Riley explained it.

USC football prepares for return to glory 

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
© Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Will Coach Riley and the Trojans return to prominence this season?

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A lot depends on the play of the defense, which was routinely shredded in big games last season, letting down both Riley and the USC football offense.

Miller Moss' appointment to starting quarterback has USC football fans pondering the possibilities in the team's first Big Ten season. Moss is a talented former four-star prospect who hasn't had the opportunity to play a full season yet. How he responds, and commands the huddle and the action for Coach Lincoln Riley's team, could speak volumes about their potential as a team.

Everyone knows the Trojans have the skill players to cause plenty of fits in the Big Ten Conference this season. Now it's up to Riley and company to forget the past and move forward in search of a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff spot.

USC football has a challenging schedule 

USC football's schedule is far from the most challenging in the Big Ten but it will be a major challenge. A road trip to Michigan to take on Coach Sherrone Moore and the defending national champs will happen on September 21. Games against Maryland, Minnesota and Washington are among the other most challenging road contests for Coach Riley's team.

By and large, USC football has a great chance to compete for a playoff spot this season. Whether they take care of business at home against teams like Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin could ultimately determine whether they are a contender or a pretender this season in Los Angeles.