The USC Trojans defeated their crosstown rivals, the UCLA Bruins, in a hard-fought game at the Rose Bowl. This victory secured their sixth win of the season, making them bowl-eligible.
While the Trojans and Lincoln Riley still have their rivalry game against Notre Dame to play, early bowl projections are starting to emerge. Both ESPN and CBS have released their predictions for the College Football Playoff and bowl games, which include a potential bowl destination for the USC Trojans.
The recent conference realignment has significantly impacted traditional bowl matchups. Many former Pac-12 bowl tie-ins now involve Big Ten teams. However, to avoid matchups between Big Ten teams, some bowl games have adjusted their pairings.
USC Trojans Projected To Play Vs. Syracuse In the Sun Bowl
All of this being said Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has projected the USC Trojans to play in the Sun Bowl against the Syracuse Orange in the Sun Bowl Stadium, which is on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso.
The Orange have put up their best season since 2018, going 8-3 in their first year under head coach Fran Brown. Their wins include games over 23rd-ranked Georgia State and 19th-ranked Pitt. They will face the #8 ranked Miami Hurricanes for their final contest.
While the Trojans season doesn’t live up to their blue-blood stature, other outlets expect them to land in a more reputable bowl game.
ESPN’s analysts have projected the USC Trojans to play in the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. The matchup in the Las Vegas Bowl is Big Ten against SEC. Bonagura has USC playing Missouri, and Schlabach has the Trojans taking on Texas A&M.
The USC Trojans haven’t played the Orange since 2012. They won that game 42-29. The two teams have played four games, with the first matchup played in 1924. USC has won all four contests.
