A new era in the Big Ten will start for the Wisconsin football team in Week 5 against the USC Trojans. A win against USC would be a big step in the right direction for Luke Fickell and the football program.
This is a road game, but Wisconsin football fans travel well, and there's a running joke that USC games are often underattended. In fact, the Trojan's average attendance was about 66,000 when the capacity of the stadium is over 77,000.
The Badgers, on the other hand, had an average attendance of 75,391 people per game, the 18th-most in the nation in 2023 .
If Wisconsin fans travel as well as they usually do, the Badgers could be playing in front of a friendly crowd in Los Angeles.
Game Info
When: September 28th - Time TBD
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - Los Angeles, CA
TV: TBD
Radio: Badger Sports Network
History
This is a lopsided series that is not in the Badgers' favor. The Wisconsin football team is 1-6 all-time against the Trojans. Granted, the six losses against USC all came between 1955-1966, when USC won all six meetings.
The Badgers and USC didn't meet again until December of 2015 when they played in the Holiday Bowl. Wisconsin defeated the Trojans 23-21 with the help of Jack Cichy, who recorded a sack on three straight plays.
Now that the Trojans are joining the Badgers in the Big Ten, the Badgers will have a chance to start evening up the series.
Last Season
8-5 Overall; 5-4 in PAC 12
41.8 points per game (3rd of 133)
34.4 opp. points per game (109th of 133)
2023 SOS: 15th of 133
Like many Lincoln Riley-led football teams, the Trojans had an explosive offense in 2023. Led by Caleb Williams, USC put up 41.8 points per game and were held under 30 points just three times, all losses. The team hit 50 points or more on four different occasions.
But like a lot of other Lincoln Riley-led teams, the Trojans were often in shootouts because the team's defense struggled. In 2023, however, the USC defense was abysmal. They gave up almost 35 points per game, the 25th-most in the country.
The Trojans fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch before the end of the season. The Wisconsin football team eventually hired Grinch as co-defensive coordinator and the safeties coach.
After going 7-5 in the regular season and 5-4 in the PAC 12, USC went on to play in the Holiday Bowl, defeating Lousiville, 42-28. Caleb Williams skipped the bowl game so Miller Moss could give Trojan fans a glimpse of what was to come in 2024. Moss completed 23-of-33 passes for 372 yards, six touchdowns, and a pick.
2024 Preview
Lincoln Riley and the Trojans have put a lot of work into giving their defense a facelift. After firing Grinch, Lincoln went to the other side of town to find his new defensive coordinator, tabbing D'Anton Lynn, who ran UCLA's defense in 2023. In 2023, the Bruins, led by Lynn, finished 10th in the country in total defense.
A new defensive coaching staff is a good start for the Trojans. Whether or not they can turn things around quickly with the players they have is another. It may take a year or two for the program with a defense that bad to turn things around.
The matchup with the Badgers will be full of storylines. Alex Grinch and linebacker Tackett Curtis, who transferred from the Trojans, will be making their return to USC, and you can bet the Badgers will be using them to get as much info about their new Big Ten opponent as possible.
This game should also be a good measuring stick early in the season to see where the Badgers stack up in the conference.
Related: Wisconsin Football 2024 Preview: South Dakota
Stay in the loop with all things Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball by visiting AllBadgers.com for more updates.
You can also follow Staff Writer Christian Borman at @ChristianBorman on X.
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