Rounding up USC's Bowl Projections for the 2022 Season
USC has not played in a bowl game in three of the past four seasons. The Trojans have not won a bowl game since the 2016 season. That means not one player on this roster who signed with USC out of high school has won a bowl game wearing cardinal and gold.
But the 2022 season represents an opportunity for USC to turn the page. And as the start of the season draws closer, bowl projections from major outlets are bullish about USC’s chances to return to the postseason.
At this point, there are two main landing spots for the Trojans. It looks like USC fans could be headed to Texas for the holidays.
Both ESPN and Action Network have USC taking part in the Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. College Football News and CBS have USC participating in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, held in Arlington.
The potential Alamo Bowl matchups could be interesting for USC, considering that would be against a Big 12 opponent. ESPN has USC taking on Oklahoma State, while Action Network is previewing what would immediately be one of the most talked-about college football games of the season: USC taking on Oklahoma.
The Alamo Bowl would be a return trip for the former Sooners now suiting up for the Trojans. Quarterback Caleb Williams completed 21-of-27 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns in a 47-32 win against Oregon last December. Wide receiver Mario Williams caught two passes for 33 yards and had one carry for 11 yards. Williams would have had a touchdown and 33 more receiving yards, but a facemask penalty pulled his helmet off and he was ruled down.
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The Alamo Bowl would likely do anything it could to match USC and Oklahoma at the end of the season. The storylines would write themselves. Head coach Lincoln Riley shocked the college football world last November in moving from Norman to Los Angeles. And judging by social media, Sooners’ fans still have not found a successful coping mechanism. They would show up en masse. And the boos would be heard all the way to the Coliseum.
Oklahoma State would be an interesting option as well. Riley’s final game as head coach with the Sooners came against the Cowboys.
Potential Cotton Bowl Matchups
A berth in the Cotton Bowl would mean a tremendous 2022 season for the Trojans, considering that’s one of the New Years Six bowls. CBS has USC as an at-large selection, with Utah winning the Pac-12 and advancing to the Rose Bowl. USC would face off against Cincinnati in that potential matchup. That would be another interesting matchup from a coaching aspect, considering the Bearcats’ Luke Fickell was a top candidate for many USC fans as the Trojans’ coaching search progressed.
CFN has USC taking on Houston in another matchup of two at-large teams. That projection has Oregon going to the Rose Bowl as champions of the Pac-12.
