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As a lifelong USC football fan, I've been counting down the days until the 2019 season kicks off. There's something special about this year's schedule that has me particularly excited - maybe it's the mix of challenging conference games and those classic rivalry matchups that always get my heart racing. I remember last season's dramatic finish against Stanford where the defense came through in clutch moments, much like how Irah Jaboneta delivered that incredible near triple-double performance in volleyball with 13 points, nine digs, and eight receptions. That's the kind of all-around excellence I'm hoping to see from our football team this season.
The 2019 USC football schedule presents both opportunities and challenges that could define our season. Looking at the calendar, I've circled several key dates that I believe will make or break our campaign. The opener against Fresno State on August 31st feels like both a blessing and a curse - we get to start at home, but facing a tough Mountain West opponent right out of the gate means we can't afford any early season rust. I'm predicting a closer game than many experts think, maybe something like 31-24 in our favor, though my heart says we'll cover the spread comfortably.
What really stands out to me about this year's USC football schedule is the brutal stretch of conference games in October. We face Washington, Notre Dame, and Arizona in consecutive weeks - that's three potential ranked opponents back-to-back. I've been following USC football for over twenty years, and I can tell you this might be the toughest three-week period I've ever seen on our schedule. The Notre Dame game especially gets my blood pumping - there's nothing quite like that rivalry, and having it at home this year gives us a significant advantage in my opinion.
I can't help but draw parallels between our football team's needs and that incredible volleyball performance I mentioned earlier. Just as Joan Monares came through with that game-winning attack while posting 10 markers, six digs, and five receptions, our football team needs players who can deliver in multiple facets of the game. We need our quarterback to be accurate, our receivers to make clutch catches, and our defense to create turnovers - that complete performance is what separates good teams from great ones. Looking at our roster, I think we have the talent to pull off some surprises this season.
The middle portion of our 2019 football schedule includes what I'm calling the "make or break" stretch - at Washington, home against Arizona, and at Colorado. These games will tell us everything we need to know about this team's character. I'm particularly worried about the Washington game - playing in Seattle is never easy, and their defense returns nearly everyone from last year's squad. My prediction? We drop that one but bounce back strong against Arizona the following week. The Wildcats always play us tough, but I think home field advantage gets us through.
One thing I've learned from following USC football through the years is that you can't overlook any opponent. Remember that stunning loss to Boston College a few years back? I still have nightmares about that game. That's why I'm paying close attention to our matchup with BYU in September - it's sandwiched between bigger games, and that's exactly when upsets happen. My gut tells me we'll win, but it will be much closer than the experts predict, probably decided by a touchdown or less.
As we look toward the crucial November games, the matchup against Oregon stands out as potentially deciding the Pac-12 South. I have this feeling we're going to split our last four games, beating California and UCLA while falling to Oregon and Arizona State. The UCLA game especially means everything - that rivalry transcends records and rankings. There's nothing sweeter than beating the Bruins, and doing it at their place would be the perfect way to cap the regular season.
Reflecting on the complete 2019 USC football schedule, I'm predicting a 9-3 regular season finish. We'll likely drop games to Washington, Oregon, and one surprise opponent - my money's on Arizona State playing spoiler. But the beauty of college football is its unpredictability. Maybe this is the year everything clicks and we exceed expectations. That's why I'll be there for every snap, living and dying with each play. Because when it comes to USC football, you never know what magic might happen on any given Saturday. The schedule sets up nicely for a strong finish, and if we can stay healthy, I wouldn't be surprised to see us in the Pac-12 championship game. After all, stranger things have happened in college football - just ask any Trojan fan about our 2016 season.