USC’s upcoming bye week may not feel that much different from the game week the Trojans just experienced. On Saturday night, during a shockingly sloppy 24-20 victory over the flawed Arizona Wildcats in the desert, the Trojans were mostly playing against themselves.
They technically had an opponent, sure, but Arizona was never going to challenge USC for four quarters on its own. So the Trojans tried to make it interesting with 18 penalties for 169 yards and three fumbles, including two in the fourth quarter.
Once they had created their own adverse circumstances, they pushed hard to overcome them, which led to a feeling of accomplishment each time they were successful.