QB Matt Barkley leads USC in his senior season.

Southern California is not on the Oregon State football team’s schedule this year again, but you’ll hear a lot about the Trojans as one of the favorites to win the Pacific-12 Conference.

USC won the South Division last year but was banned from the postseason. That’s all over now and QB Matt Barkley will be talked about as a Heisman Trophy candidate, returned to school.

However, he didn’t do too well in spring practice. He might have put practice on cruise control.

Barkley tore up teams last year, and experience will only help. Plus he has A-plus talent around him.

OSU’s biggest disappointment in the whole USC deal was it couldn’t take advantage of not having the Trojans on the schedule and out of the bowl picture the last two years.

And if Barkley isn’t enough, it looks like the defense is going to be good again. It won the spring game over the offense.

Here’s some discussion about ESPN ranking USC No. 1 in the early preseason poll.

Here’s a story pointing out USC coach Lane Kiffin now has the full pressure to win at USC. He had a two-year pass since the team was on probation. The story also has a rundown how spring practice went.

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