R.I.P., Joe 30 Dec 2016 6:24 PM (8 years ago)
We lost a dear member of the Trojan Family in 2016. Joe McKnight put up more than his share of highlights in his time at the Coliseum.
Here’s to you, Joe.
USC Ready To Enter ’15 With Legitimate Championship Aspirations 4 Aug 2015 2:16 AM (9 years ago)
The USC Trojans experienced a fall in college football that no storied program should endure.
Through the departure of Pete Carroll, the loss of a title contender and NCAA penalties, these Trojans have been through it all. None of it has ever fully bogged USC down, though, as the Trojans have remained a winner on the field, with their worst finish being 7-6 since Carroll left.
Things have been looking up even more lately, as the team went 10-4 in 2013 and 9-4 a year ago, securing bowl wins in both seasons. Heading into 2015 with an established arm under center in Cody Kessler leading the way, there is serious hope once again that these USC Trojans could be dangerous players in the race to reach the second College Football Playoff.
Quarterback Cody Kessler seems to like USC’s chances, as he recently suggested that this current rendition of the Trojans works “really hard” and carries the same mentality of the 2002 USC team that initially turned things around for Trojans football. If everything breaks right, Kessler and co. could be ready to take another huge step forward in ’15.
That will surely be easier said than done, as the Trojans have plenty of challenges ahead of them across a tough 2015 schedule. Their season opener against Arkansas State at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – USC Trojans tickets are just $68.98 on average for this affair – should be a nice cakewalk matchup to help the team gain confidence. The second week brings about another likely win against the Idaho Vandals (Trojans tickets are even cheaper at $66.54), while their first test comes against the rival Stanford Cardinal on September 19, and for that huge game, tickets are averaging $137.83 on the secondary market.
For those fans who can’t get to the game but don’t want to miss a minute of USC football in a year where they could absolutely return to prominence, there are DISH Network sports packages available that feature the Pac-12 Network. Not only will fans be able to catch every USC contest with this subscription, but you can catch any action involving the Pac-12 as well in what is sure to be another thrilling college football campaign.
USC looks to be as built as well as they’ve ever been within the past several years, which could give them a really good chance at starting the season off hot. That might have to include a big win over Arizona State, but if they can get past the Sun Devils, and then stomp the Washington Huskies, they could hit Notre Dame Stadium on October 17 at a perfect 5-0. Their battle with the Fighting Irish is naturally one of their more anticipated games of the season, and the price probably tells you everything you need to know about the hype going into the matchup – a staggering $456.87 on average on the secondary market.
Should USC make it past that tough road game, they’d be 6-0 with some solid wins under their belt and a shot at the national title within reach. The Trojans would then have to make it through possible trap games against the Utah Utes, California Golden Bears, Arizona Wildcats and Colorado Buffaloes. Should they stay unblemished or lose just one or two of those games, they’d enter the stretch run still in the running for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
It’s those final two games of the year that could end up making or breaking USC, as they have a huge showdown at Autzen Stadium with the Oregon Ducks on November 21, and then close the regular season against what figures to be a very good UCLA Bruins squad at home one week later.
Expecting a perfect season and clear path to the national title might be overly ambitious, but the Trojans seem to have the coaching, quarterback play and overall balance to turn in one of their best seasons in a while. The schedule represents some steep challenges along the way, but if USC can prevail, it could be one magical ride that Trojans fans could enjoy, both due to value in Trojans tickets and a possible shot at a college football title. In any event, USC is definitely one of the teams to watch this season.
Super Bowl Champion Alums Available For Unique Experiences for USC Fans 20 Jan 2015 7:54 PM (10 years ago)
With the Super Bowl coming up it is time to get in the spirit of the event. Thanks to IfOnly, you can get the chance to partake in exclusive VIP experiences with Ronnie Lott and Marcus Allen, two USC legends and NFL Super Bowl champions. This is the perfect time to get your hands on signed memorabilia as the NFL Hall of Fame induction takes place right before the Super Bowl and both Lott and Allen are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
IfOnly offers premier VIP access to all of your favorite movie stars, chefs, athletes and musicians. IfOnly knows that connecting you with people at the top of their fields will inspire you to achieve great things. These incredible experiences will provide you with life lasting memories and experiences that will set you apart from the crowd. Not only are you having the time of your life with your idols, but a portion of the proceeds from each experience go towards a charity of the VIP’s choice, so you are also helping those in need.
Former USC defensive back and four-time Super Bowl Champion Ronnie Lott is widely considered to be the best to ever play the game from the defensive backfield. With eight different exclusive packages, IfOnly has a wide variety of ways to get VIP access to this legendary player. The signed memorabilia that is available is all personalized and varies from a personal audio message to a signed jersey. You can also join Ronnie Lott for dinner at four-star restaurant Michael Mina in San Francisco. The package includes Q&A with Lott and Michael Mina as well as photos and signed memorabilia.
Running back Marcus Allen is a Heisman Trophy winner, NFL MVP and Super Bowl Champion, making him one of the most decorated players of all time. Exclusive personalized memorabilia of Allen’s is available at IfOnly. For golf enthusiasts IfOnly has an exclusive deal that you cannot pass up. You can play 18 holes with the running back at Del Mar Country Club with two other friends. The package includes lunch, signed memorabilia and live tweets of the event from Marcus Allen. This is an incredible and memorable opportunity, so get in the Super Bowl spirit and check out these exclusive packages with USC legends.
We’ll miss you, Nelson Agholor 14 Jan 2015 3:40 AM (10 years ago)
We’ll miss you @nelsonagholor15 and Buck, but we know you’ll excel in the pros. #usctmb by usctmb
USC Vs. UCLA Tickets Start At Just $18 At Barry’s Tickets 14 Jan 2015 3:38 AM (10 years ago)
The Pac-12 season has already gotten going, but it truly sets off on Wednesday night when bitter rivals USC and UCLA go to battle at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. Neither team has separated itself within the conference as a true contender, while both teams have already lost at least two games inside the conference. Tonight one of them gets a leg up on the other in an attempt to climb the standings, however, as well as carry some bragging rights into their next matchup, which could end up being a climatic regular season finale.
For now, fans from both sides will have to embrace the hype that comes with this meeting, as 10-7 UCLA tries to come in and steal a win on 9-7 USC’s home court. A rich history of 240 clashes bypasses early struggles in a game that will undoubtedly have Trojans tickets returning serious value at just $50.52 on average, according to Barry’s Tickets. The current get-in price is just $18 for the game.
Despite starting the 2014-15 college basketball strong (4-0), the UCLA Bruins have tumbled as of late, falling into a horrific five-game losing streak between December 13th and January 4th. Life wasn’t easy for the Bruins during that span, but they can hardly be torn down for three of those five losses, which came against #1 ranked Kentucky, #10 ranked Utah and #9 ranked Gonzaga. Eventually UCLA needs to find a way to get wins against the better teams in the nation if they want to make it into March’s big dance, however, so they’ll be looking to edge USC and start to get things back on track. A huge double overtime win over Stanford last Thursday got them going in the right direction, and a win on Wednesday night over the Trojans would have them suddenly blazing on a three game winning streak.
If UCLA’s 2014-15 season ends up being anything like last year, they just might blow by the Trojans to get that hot streak rolling again. The Bruins ran all over USC in their first meeting last year, whipping their rivals 107-73 at home. They didn’t score quite as much in the second meeting, but still had the gas pressed down firmly in a solid 83-73 win in USC’s house. If a sweep (or even one win) is to come again this year, UCLA will probably need to be at their best offensively. That could mean a big game out of leading scorer Bryce Alford, who has failed to top 15 points in any of his last four contests.
The Trojans went back and forth to start the year and were just 3-3 through their first six games before ripping off a nice four-game run between November 25th and December 7th. Since then they’ve been back to rotating games and runs, as they’ll enter this intense conference battle after going just 3-3 in their last six contests. USC’s main issue has been finding consistency on offense, as they’ve struggled to top 70 points in seven of their 16 battles. That could be an issue when they take on UCLA, who come in as the 73rd best scoring team in the country. Naturally, the normally spread out and balanced Trojans may be looking for Jordan McLaughlin or Nikola Jovanovic to step up and take over this contest.
The recent success has Bruins tickets carrying the upside in this matchup, but USC hosts and will be out for blood after getting swept in the season series a year ago. They should be able to lean on a hard fought overtime win over the Bruins from the 2012-13 season, while the history of this matchup seems to always offer up a potential tight battle that can go down to the wire.
Neither the Bruins or Trojans have separated themselves from each other nor the rest of the pack in the Pac-12, but Wednesday night brings the opportunity to do just that. A UCLA win would move the Bruins up to 3-2 in conference play and could put them as high as third place, while the Trojans (1-3 in the Pac-12) would remain in the middle of the pack and sustain some continuity as they head into the remainder of a rigorous January schedule.
Holiday Bowl Tickets Most Expensive In Past Five Seasons 23 Dec 2014 3:54 AM (10 years ago)
The National University Holiday Bowl, which will be played on December 27th at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, will pit the USC Trojans (8-4), who finished 24th in the last AP Poll, against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3). While USC’s offense normally receives most of the attention from the national media, defensive lineman Leonard Williams figures to be a top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Williams is an absolute mauler that will get to face an NFL-caliber running back in Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah. USC enters this bowl game after winning three of its last four games. Quarterback Cody Kessler has bounced back after some early season struggles to post a ridiculous 36-to-4 TD:INT ratio. Kessler does benefit from throwing to wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Agholor has been one of College Football’s best wide receivers, securing 1,223 yards and 11 touchdowns on 98 catches. Running back Buck Allen has kept opposing defenses honest by averaging 5.3 yards per carry. This game will be played within a few hours of USC’s campus, so fans are paying a premium for this match-up.
According to TiqIQ, the average ticket price for USC vs. Nebraska is currently $199.26 on the secondary market while the get-in price for the game is $100. The game has the most expensive Holiday Bowl tickets on TiqIQ over the past five seasons, 24% above the second most expensive game.
After two relatively unsuccessful seasons in the Big 10 Conference, Nebraska opted to fire head coach Bo Pelini. Interim coach Barney Cotton will lead Nebraska in this bowl game. Nebraska’s new head coach, Mike Riley, will take over after the Holiday Bowl. USC’s run defense has been excellent, but the Trojans have not a face running back as good as Abdullah. Abdullah is averaging an astonishing 6.4 yards per carry and has rushed for 18 touchdowns. Wide receiver Kenny Bell leads the way with 717 yards and five touchdowns as Abdullah has helped open up passing lanes.
While fans expect to pay above average ticket prices to attend the National University Holiday Bowl, Nebraska is looking to win its tenth game while USC will look for a ‘local’ victory over a proud program. These two teams have not played since 2006 when USC defeated Nebraska 28-10 in Los Angeles.
The Quotable Su’a Cravens 31 Aug 2014 9:38 PM (10 years ago)
The Quotable Su’a Cravens
(Video Credit: Shotgun Spratling)
Groot and Rocket in Rocket Raccoon # 2
Los Angeles Angels 1963 Pinwheel. Yes, please.
2014 USC Preview: Ticket Pricing Edition 20 Aug 2014 1:41 PM (10 years ago)
A few seasons ago USC earned the top spot in the preseason polls thanks to the belief that quarterback Matt Barkley, and receivers Marquise Lee and Robert Woods would form a dominant offense. But not only did that team disappoint, but last season the Trojans struggled once again. Not only did it lead to the firing of head coach Lane Kiffin, it also led to relatively inexpensive USC games on the secondary market last season.
This season expectations are relatively high again, with USC landing a 15th ranking in the preseason polls. That number also directly relates to where they are for ticket prices on the secondary market. According to TiqIQ, USC has the 15th most expensive tickets in the nation this year with a $143.67 average. That’s a huge increase from the season before, when the average price dropped to $84.16 after the tough losses started to mount for the Trojans. Home games on the USC football schedule will be 71% more expensive than last season, which is one of the largest price increases in the entire nation.
But while expectations are up for USC, they’re also up for the entire Pac-12 conference. The conference has recently started to challenge the SEC for dominance in the sport with Oregon, Stanford and UCLA also looking like real contenders for the conference title and College Football Playoffs this season. In fact, overall the depth of the conference has improved mightily with competitive teams up and down the board.
That hype has even led to a price increase for one of the most hyped matchups in Southern California. UCLA and USC face off every year and last season the average was pretty high at $234.47, and a get-in price at $101 at the Coliseum. This season the game will be played at the Rose Bowl as a UCLA home game and the average price has increased 29%t for an average of $302.32. The get-in price didn’t increase much, with the cheapest ticket currently at $104.
That game isn’t the only one with expensive tickets. The team also hosts Notre Dame for a game that currently has a $257 average and an $82 get-in price. Notre Dame is another team like USC that has a successful history, but has struggled to live up to that hype that last several years. Granted they had a big outlier year a couple seasons ago when they made the national championship game behind an undefeated regular season. This season Notre Dame is ranked just a bit behind the Trojans at 17 on the AP preseason poll.
The next most expensive game of the seasons comes August 30 against Fresno State. The game currently has an average price of $135 and a get-in price of $43 for USC’s first home game of the season.
USC has struggled since Pete Carroll left, and the team received sanctions for breaking NCAA regulations. Entering this season with a new head coach in Steve Sarkisian, the team is hopeful that they’re heading in the right direction. So far that means a 15th ranking in the preseason poll, and increased ticket prices on the secondary market.
2014 USC Preview: Ticket Pricing Edition 20 Aug 2014 6:59 AM (10 years ago)
Photo Credit: Jerry Ting/Neon Tommy.
Originally posted at TrojanWire:
A few seasons ago USC earned the top spot in the preseason polls thanks to the belief that quarterback Matt Barkley, and receivers Marquise Lee and Robert Woods would form a dominant offense. But not only did that team disappoint, but last season the Trojans struggled once again. Not only did it lead to the firing of head coach Lane Kiffin, it also led to relatively inexpensive USC games on the secondary market last season.
This season expectations are relatively high again, with USC landing a 15th ranking in the preseason polls. That number also directly relates to where they are for ticket prices on the secondary market. According to TiqIQ, USC has the 15th most expensive tickets in the nation this year with a $143.67 average. That’s a huge increase from the season before, when the average price dropped to $84.16 after the tough losses started to mount for the Trojans. Home games on the USC football schedule will be 71% more expensive than last season, which is one of the largest price increases in the entire nation.
But while expectations are up for USC, they’re also up for the entire Pac-12 conference. The conference has recently started to challenge the SEC for dominance in the sport with Oregon, Stanford and UCLA also looking like real contenders for the conference title and College Football Playoffs this season. In fact, overall the depth of the conference has improved mightily with competitive teams up and down the board.
That hype has even led to a price increase for one of the most hyped matchups in Southern California. UCLA and USC face off every year and last season the average was pretty high at $234.47, and a get-in price at $101 at the Coliseum. This season the game will be played at the Rose Bowl as a UCLA home game and the average price has increased 29%t for an average of $302.32. The get-in price didn’t increase much, with the cheapest ticket currently at $104.
That game isn’t the only one with expensive tickets. The team also hosts Notre Dame for a game that currently has a $257 average and an $82 get-in price. Notre Dame is another team like USC that has a successful history, but has struggled to live up to that hype that last several years. Granted they had a big outlier year a couple seasons ago when they made the national championship game behind an undefeated regular season. This season Notre Dame is ranked just a bit behind the Trojans at 17 on the AP preseason poll.
The next most expensive game of the seasons comes August 30 against Fresno State. The game currently has an average price of $135 and a get-in price of $43 for USC’s first home game of the season.
USC has struggled since Pete Carroll left, and the team received sanctions for breaking NCAA regulations. Entering this season with a new head coach in Steve Sarkisian, the team is hopeful that they’re heading in the right direction. So far that means a 15th ranking in the preseason poll, and increased ticket prices on the secondary market.
The Dean’s House at Ball So Hard University
Hope You’re Fighting On On This Lovely Monday 19 May 2014 5:57 PM (10 years ago)
Hope you’re fighting on on this lovely Monday.