usc football

No USC football this weekend. I might cry.

The connection between junior quarterback Matt Barkley and sophomore wide receiver Robert Woods is, in a word, beautiful. But I won’t be able to see these Trojans try to break another offensive record Saturday.

What about the high praise showering freshman wide receiver Marqise Lee? I won’t be able to hear that either from USC coach Lane Kiffin.

But no game Saturday probably also saves me from a heart attack the way these first five games have played out.

Despite the criticism and speculation from lamenting fans and students, USC is 4-1 heading into the bye week. It still has a fair share of problems to correct — namely on defense — but wins are wins, and, at this point, that in many ways is all that matters.

With an extra week of preparation before its bout with the Golden Bears in the Bay Area, there is football outside of USC football.

Not only can USC pay attention to game film, but it can also watch other Pac-12 games that have further implications affecting itself and its possible Heisman candidates in Barkley and Woods.

Here’s a viewer’s guide to this weekend sans USC football: