A major topic of conversation ahead of USC Football’s transition into the Big 10 was how would a West Coast team handle all the additional miles traveled to the Midwest and the East Coast. Head coach Lincoln Riley was asked about the team’s preparations at his press conference on Thursday.
The USC Trojans embark on their first big road trip of the season, playing against defending National Champions, Michigan. Not only is there a long flight ahead of them, but also the hostile environment of the Big House.
USC Football’s Travel Preparation Started Long Before The Season
“[First, we] reinforce the idea [that] you got to embrace the road. You got to be able to handle the ups and downs the momentum swings that are different when you play in ‘road ball.’ Especially in good atmospheres. You got to be a really tough-minded, committed, physical group to go win games like this on the road.”
It should meet the standard of a good atmosphere as all 107 thousand tickets have been sold for this game.
USC football has only played in Michigan Stadium once since it opened 97 years ago. That matchup took place over 65 years ago.
Riley was also asked how he and the USC football ops team prepared for their new travel schedule and all the new locales they will be visiting.
“A lot went into this. I mean there was definitely a lot of conversations and time spent with both college teams and especially NFL teams because they they do these types of trips. A lot more often than we do. We’re lucky to have obviously two teams (Rams and Chargers) right here in town that we were able to spend a decent amount of time with on this on this subject. Both the logistics, the science behind when you travel, the nutrition. Everything from a physical standpoint for the guys.
Riley also said that the team would plan to leave LA a day ahead of the game.
USC sent something of a recognizance team out to scout trips from the airport, hotels, and the stadium to create a seamless and smooth transition for the players, coaches, and staff.
“We sent people out early on in the spring to get to these different locations, especially this year, because it is a lot of new locations for us. It’s scouting out hotels or routes or just anything that’s unique about the travel that we’ve got to keep in mind.”
The trip to Ann Arbor is just the beginning for the USC Trojans. They face trips to Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Seattle. The USC football travel schedule demands they travel 12,710 miles, the third most in the Big 10.
