USC football and Stanford football could have their rivalry end after this season.
The Trojans and Cardinal are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten and ACC, respectively, in 2024. USC plays Stanford Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in their final in-conference meeting.
USC football coach Lincoln Riley, who was in his first season with his team in 2022, spoke about what the game will mean. Via USCFootball.com's Jack Smith:
“We want to make sure the guys understand the opportunity at hand,” Riley said.
USC is ranked No. 6 in the AP Top 25. The Trojans opened their season with wins over San Jose State and Nevada, when they scored 50-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2015.
USC is manned by superstar quarterback Caleb Williams, who in two games has completed 73.5 percent of his passes and thrown for 597 yards and nine touchdowns against zero interceptions.
Article Continues BelowThe Trojans went to the Pac-12 Championship in 2022 but lost to the Utah Utes, who also defeated them in the regular season. USC then lost in the Cotton Bowl to Tulane, 46-45, even though it held a 15-point lead in the final 4:30.
Williams is a candidate to win the Heisman Trophy for the second straight year. USC will be dependent on him and the offense since its defense is still largely unproven.
Stanford football is entering a new era under coach Troy Taylor, who previously was in charge of Sacramento State. The Cardinal won their first game this past week against Hawaii, 37-24.
Stanford is projected to finish last in the Pac-12 in 2023.