Pac-12 Football: Five burning questions for 2015 season

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Nov 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler (6) throws a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

1. Are The Trojans Finally Back?

There was a time not that long ago that the USC Trojans were synonymous with Pac-12 football. Oregon was just an afterthought, and everyone feared playing in Southern California. The team was loaded with future NFL players like Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush, Frostee Rucker, Brian Cushing, and Rey Maualuga. From 2002 through 2008, USC won at least 11 games every year. There was no team in the nation that enjoyed more notoriety than the University of Southern California.

However, then came the departure of Pete Carroll for the NFL and the harsh penalties from the NCAA. Vacated wins, scholarship reductions, post-season bans, and other penalties destroyed one of the most successful programs in the history of college athletics. While the Trojans never bottomed out, they were certainly no longer the class of the conference. They gave way to the dynasty of the Oregon Ducks and the Stanford Cardinal, while they scrambled to keep up with the other South division teams.

Arizona State, UCLA, and Arizona have all played for the Pac-12 championship since the creation of the Pac-12, but the Trojans have not. They have, however, had several top in the conference recruiting classes and the talent at USC has been steadily rising. Suddenly there are whispers that the juggernaut is back. That the USC of old is here, and that the Trojans are eager to reclaim their rightful place at the top of the conference.

Not so fast, though, as things are just not the same as they were in 2008. There are new, successful coaches at Arizona State, Arizona, and UCLA. Stanford is not the 34 and 1/2 point underdog they were the last time USC walked into Palo Alto ranked number one in the AP top 25 poll. The Oregon Ducks might not be willing to relinquish their place as top dog in the conference, and do not forget about new coaches at Washington and Oregon State looking to make some waves of their own.

The conference, overall, is much better, and the competition USC faces to get back to the Rose Bowl will be stiffer. Nevertheless, there is no bigger question heading into the season than what the fate of the Southern California Trojans will be in 2015.

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