LOS ANGELES — USC is currently on a bye week, but the Trojans aren’t calling it that.
“We call it a ‘standard week,’” safety Christian Pierce said. “Attack it the same way as it we attack any week. No real difference besides the mindset and how we attack every single day.”
There have been some changes in the approach to this bye week, with the outcome of the last bye still in mind.
USC was riding high off a road win against Penn State in a “White Out” game when it went into that bye. But when they traveled to Wisconsin for the next game, the Trojans fell apart and lost to the unranked Badgers, 24-7.
“We’re doing a lot different,” head coach Lincoln Riley said, “regardless of how the games had went, and regardless of who we’re playing next. There’s quite a bit about this week that’ll be different in terms of really everything.
“The schedule, how long we get the guys off at the end of the week, what we do during the week. The content of the practices. There’s a lot more differences than there are similarities between the two.”
Calling it a “standard week” is another difference from the previous bye week. The goal is to treat this week like any other game week and uphold a standard that the Trojans are setting for themselves.
“Nothing can go below that,” running back King Miller said. “I can’t even put it in other words. I think we all as a program really know what that (standard) is, so we all know we can’t go below that. Just keep improving at whatever that is, regardless of if it’s school, outside of this building, in this building, just improving that standard.”
USC, once again, has momentum in this bye week after upsetting No. 11 Ohio State, which was ranked No. 2 at the time, on Saturday. The next game is a road matchup with defending national champion No. 6 Indiana.
AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” – Indiana’s entrance music – was heard blasting across the practice field on Wednesday afternoon, as well as crowd noise and chants of “Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers.” Both are signals that the Trojans (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) are already preparing for their next opponent.
Every game for the rest of the season is significant if USC wants to make the 12-team College Football Playoff after being ranked No. 20 in the initial CFP rankings. After Indiana (8-1, 5-1), the Trojans have games against Maryland (2-6, 0-5) and at No. 5 UCLA (8-0, 5-0), the latter of which was No. 8 in the CFP rankings.
“Every game is the same importance to us,” Pierce said, “but I feel like just the atmosphere could change a little bit. That just brings excitement to the players, that brings excitement to me and my teammates, the coaches. So to go out and to play the sport we love in front of the fans we love – man, it’s a blessing.”
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS
Receiver Trent Mosley and defensive end Luke Wafle are both semifinalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
Fourteen players made the semifinalist list, and three finalists will be named on Dec. 3. The winner will be revealed on Dec. 28.
Mosley was selected as an all-purpose player and has collected 512 yards on 32 receptions and leads the team with six touchdowns despite missing three games due to injury. He has also returned eight punts for 212 yards, including an 86-yard return against Louisiana.
Wafle leads all freshmen in the FBS in QB pressures with 23 and has recorded 36 tackles, 8½ tackles for loss and three sacks.